| | |  Health & Beauty | December 2008 
len's life: The Big Show is Over and Now the Real Party Starts... Vallarta's High Season
 Len - PVNN
| | A behind-the-scenes look at the producer, stylists and cast as they prepare for the Big Show - an over-the-top street party and fashion show held on November 29th to celebrate the anniversary of blu THE ***** Salon and Spa. (Promovision) | |
As I write this, Team blu and I just completed our big, huge, monstrous (if I do say myself) fashion event a few nights ago. And the afternoon after the event, what am I doing? Resting, you think, right? WRONG! I am doing hair for a beautiful bride.
And so it goes. Vallarta's high-season has officially begun ... and it's one non-stop party for the next five gorgeous, beautiful winter months in the tropics. It is good to be the Queen ... oops, sorry, King of Fabulous!
To coin a phrase from the soon-to-be new U.S. Secretary of State, "It takes a village." And concerning our blow out show, that seems like the understatement of the century. Nobody does anything like this on their own, and why would they try.
Keeping the community around you involved makes everyone happy. If only more communities would realize this, I think business at large would flourish, and the whining about how hard it is to make ends meet would slip away. Don't get me wrong, times are tough, but staying in partnership with your neighbors and helping to promote them when needed always comes back to you in the end.
"NO ONE UGLY ALLOWED" was the chant that could be heard from the inside of blu as show time arrived. The nervous producer, that's moi, actually had time to change clothes this year and, with ten minutes to spare, the cast, stylists and male dancers got to relax and listen to last minute directions from this boy who likes to party. Having looked outside at the size of the crowd, I'll admit I was getting a little nervous. But one Xanax and an air-kiss from the incomparable DIVA, and I was good to go.
With the runway lit and the models hungry from fasting to be sure they fit in their dresses, it was time. All the months of preparation, the hours of costume fittings, the search for anything glamorous that we did not already have, had come down to a simple little 17.5 minutes. Here's another understatement for you: "Time flies when you're having fun."
As soon as the crowd got a look at the wonderful male specimens that José of Bar Anthropology (101 Morelos, Plaza Rio Cuale) provided as my model's bodyguards and for the audience's eye-candy, they knew this was going to be no ordinary night. Who knew that such scantily clad, well-built men could bring all of our friends to a fevered pitch so soon? I did. Nothing gets a show started better than a little skin.
My team (I am so possessive) proved once again that they are the team to try to best in all of Vallarta. With their creative juices on overdrive and no rules, they once again were ready to give Puerto Vallarta an evening that would not soon be forgotten. From the moment I saw the guys in blue satin toga's to the lady covered in mud, I knew that Team blu spa experts, Sara and Jessica, had come to play.
There are times when you are planning an event such as this that you begin to feel a little like P.T. Barnum. This particular soiree had all the makings of a three ring circus. Men, models, moms, daughters, brides, studs ... and did I mention the poodles? Before you knew it, here came Ms. Ellen on stage escorted by hunky, steamy Wayne in open shirted tux, with her two little bundles of joy in tow. The poodles had dresses to match their glamorous "Mom." Ellen and Wayne worked that runway for filth. Congratulations to Team blu member Clay who found the patience to deal with all of that - and with only one day's rest from his U.S. Thanksgiving vacation in Savannah, Georgia. Thanks, Clay.
Betty and Daniel approached this event like an episode of Project Runway. Every time I turned around, there were more pieces coming in for one of their dresses or their hair. When Betty came in with the branches spotted with hair like Spanish moss and hand painted organza for her dresses, I knew the gauntlet had been thrown down. In walked Daniel with his pill box hats and black ruffles. All I could say was "wow." How great is this really going to be? At the same time I knew in my gut that their creative juices were flowing like the Rio Cuale in summer - and that a "growing" from this experience was going to happen for the both of them. If Betty and Daniel were not on the map before this evening ... they have now arrived. BIG TIME.
With not one, but two mother/daughter teams, bedazzled with jewelry from Cielito Lindo Jewelry and small Leeann with her big sassy attitude, adorned in Cassandra Shaw Jewelry, it was obvious to the crowd that the holiday season had arrived and that dressing up too much for the cocktail party circuit is not an issue if you follow blu's advice.
The bigger the jewelry and the higher the hair was my motto. When in doubt ... add some hair spray and a bit more "bling." Nowhere was that more evident than in our final model, the beautiful bride Monica. Usually working behind the bar or at the canapé table with her husband Joe Thompson (jocaterov(at)yahoo.com), son of the amazing Pam Thompson, I thought it was time to glam up this mother of two and bring out her inner diva. I'll let you be the judge. Anyone who can pull off a Mohawk two stories high with blue glitter and white feather boas attached is about as diva-esque as it gets.
Over on the sidelines was my hubby, Larry, using all his inner strength to stay put and not to come up with last minute suggestions. My new partner, Dana, was watching the crowd build and wondering how on earth does this happen? And as always our trusted Salon Manager, Miguel, was everywhere at once, making sure that no one was anywhere they were not supposed to be.
So you wonder sometimes how this all happens? Patience and more patience. Creative people are just that. Creative. That means fun, emotional, driven and - of course - inspired. To all of my team, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for kicking it up a notch. You never cease to amaze me with your skills and talent, not to mention your ability to deal with me. Not an easy task, I know.
To Vallarta and all the pretty people out there ... what's next? Well, parties, of course. It's high season. We've kicked it off like a winning field goal. Now, let's all be pretty, handsome and glamorous for the next few months ... nonstop ... and fun. That's what it's like in len's life!
Click HERE to see video coverage of the over-the-top street party and fashion show that took place on the November 29th in celebration of another blu THE ***** Salon and Spa anniversary .
 Given that Len's very first word was "more," and the second one was "pretty" it is no wonder that he now is the Stylist Manager in the #1 salon and spa in Puerto Vallarta, blu, but also writes an entertaining and informative beauty column, "len's life." Whatever you hair may or may not need, Len will know exactly what to do or where to go to find the answer - just send him an email at len(at)blubylen.com.
Click HERE for more articles by Len. |
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