Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
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Life · May 27, 2020

White People, It’s Time to Stop Saying “I Don’t Understand”

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Lately, I’ve been trying to listen more. When I first became more “in tune” with social justice issues I was very LOUD. Always yelling (figuratively) about what was going on in the world, organizing protests at Texas A&M, etc. I thought that was what I should be doing. And I don’t think there’s anything *wrong* with that, it was part of my process. But now I’m trying to talk less. I try to amplify voices of Black and Brown people and let them tell their own story. I’m trying to make it less about me.

There’s a balance though, right? And I’m trying to find that. To speak out and be an ally, but not speak over Black and Brown people. To not be silent, but also to not seem performative. To educate white people, but not speak out of turn when others should have the floor. That being said, today I’m speaking out. 

With the deaths of George Floyd (suffocated while in police custody), Breyona Taylor (murdered by police during a raid….they were in the wrong house), and Ahmaud Arbery (gunned down by two white men who were FINALLY arrested three months later) in the news, I’ve seen lots of white folks say “I don’t understand.” And honestly….I’ve had enough of that. If you are a grown adult, and your response to this is “I don’t understand” then it’s time for you to do the work to understand. 

Please, please stop expecting Black people to do the work to help you understand. There are MANY resources out there to help you understand, but today I’m giving you the short version. It’s white supremacy. It’s white privilege. That is why you don’t understand. Because if you are white this COULD NOT happen to you. Not like this. You don’t understand because you won’t have to teach your child how to de-escalate a police situation and MAYBE avoid an unnecessary death. You don’t understand because you can walk freely in your neighborhood and no one looks twice at you. 

STOP saying you don’t understand because now you see it, so it’s time to get to work. 

Some resources to get you started:

  • White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
  • 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
  • Rachel Cargle’s Racial Justice Research Document

I don’t want to overwhelm you with resources, so just start there. Then do some more work and find more resources. Read, learn, follow Black activists and share their work. Pay for their work when you can. Talk to other white people about what you’ve learned. This is by FAR the hardest part of this process, but it’s the most important step.

White supremacy is OUR problem to fix, white people. So let’s fix it because every death is another one on our hands.

xoxo
Valery

In: Life

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Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and/or you’re scared about mixing colors, this is such an easy way to do it, y’all! Monochromatic on top (I incorporated an orange shimmer but you could keep it super simple and just blend out one shadow), and then a different color on bottom. I was worried the blue would look too heavy on me since my eyes are a bit downturned but I think it turned out just fine! 

I’m using a @shopaltergo palette again here, this one is a dupe for the Natasha Denona Metropolis palette ($129). The Alter Ego palette is a whopping $22….and so far it’s a GEM. I don’t have ND so I can’t compare them directly but I didn’t have any issues with these shadows at all.

Lips are @lagirlcosmetics liner in Keep It Spicy + @flowerbeauty lipstick in Spiced Petal
Brows are eyeshadow and a bar of soap

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