I Went To The GRAMMYs!!! #PricelessSurprises

I still can't believe I went to The GRAMMYs!!!  I was on a whirlwind high from it all for the past month.  I'm gonna tell you how it went down by timeline.

10:30am - left my home to be at Cerritos Mall by 11am for my appointment at MAC
10:50am - the mall is packed with people, stores aren't officially open yet.  I'm thinking what is going on???
11am - MAC raises the gate, I'm in a mad dash with 12 other women to get inside.  I check-in and get seated
11:08am - The makeup artist introduces herself and asks what I have in mind - I show her a picture I found on Instagram and tell her, "I'm not expecting a miracle but this is the look I'm going for"

These are all the products used on my face.  MAC charges $50 to get your face done (you get to take home a brand new mascara) and extra if you want lashes.  I wanted lashes.  

50 minutes later... my face!  This was the first time I had a makeover I actually liked and the first time I ever wore fake eyelashes.  That was intense.    


Wendy, my +1 picked me up and we got to LA at about 1pm.  No traffic on the freeways but around the LA Live area was crazy.  Our first party was the MasterCard Pre-Grammy Reception - everyone flocked to the extravagant dessert table to check out the gramophone.  There was live music, good drinks and food.    


3pm - We ventured out to see the action, we headed into Nokia and had to take a picture with an official GRAMMY gramophone.  While we were in line we did a lot of people watching, some of the outfits were super sparkly.

4pm - You have to be inside Staples Center by 4:30pm.  This is when they lock the doors.  Yes they really do.  What we found out later is that our tickets had special stickers on them and we could've walked on the actual red carpet.  Not the one the celebs walk on but the one behind it.  Yeah there's a few red carpets.  These little strips are what we walked on and people took pictures on.  Hey, it is a red carpet.

This scene actually surprised the hell out of me and is super popular on my Instagram - women in gowns ordering up McDonald's right before the show started.  What you can't see are tons of people eating on closed concessions stand counters.  Savages!  
4:30pm - I tried to buy a bottle of water but the stands were closing so everyone had their butts planted in their seats to get The 56th Annual Grammy Awards started.  I was told to return at 5:15pm.  Wendy nonchalantly pointed out Quentin Tarantino and I told him I loved his movies and asked if we could take a picture.  He very very sweetly said no but thanked me and shook my hand.  We found our seats and I had to get a picture in even though I technically wasn't supposed to take pictures at all inside Staples Center.  I couldn't resist!

Around 4:50pm - general announcements are made to find your seats and this is in very bad blogger form but I forgot who addressed the crowd and introduced LL Cool J.  I'm assuming the producer of the show.  Also got to meet blogger friends Chelsea & Melissa!

Pink was amazing flying above the crowd.


I didn't want to disrespect (or get sued by) The GRAMMYs by taking pictures all night so that's all you are gonna get!

9pm - The show ran late and we're newbies so we got to the Official GRAMMY Celebration After Party late and it was crazy.  The theme: Roarin' 20s.  All the tables were taken and no one was getting up so we roamed the ginormous space for about 30 minutes (with hurt feet!), grabbed some food and drinks before we approached a cute couple willing to share their small cocktail table with us.  


The drink menu - I really would've liked to the Patron or Ultimat signature drinks but I needed caffeine to keep me up.  I took a picture so you can make it at home!


The dinner menus were based on cities in the Roarin' 20s - got to rep Los Angeles!
 
Got to meet one of the lovely couples that got married during the Same Love performance - Wendy Diaz and Monique Flores!



10pm - Ciara performed with her cute little baby bump and sounded SO GOOD!


12am - home in my pajamas!

You basically got a program if you attended the GRAMMYs.  If you attended the after party, you got a bag with the official nominees cd and 5 Gum.  My passes are on the right and you see that red sticker - I could've walked the red carpet!

The best "swag".

Questions from my friends!

Melissa of melissadell.com asked:  What happens during commercials?
It's actually really quiet while the sets are being changed out.  20 seconds before the show goes live again there is a countdown.  LL Cool J doesn't entertain us and we really only saw him about 3x!  

Chris of whatiruninto.com asked:  If you could do it again, what would you do differently? Arrive earlier/later? Dressed up/down? Interviewed attendees? Tweeted celebs while they were on-stage?
I think we arrived at a good time, I would've dressed up a little more and interviewed attendees.  I intended on making Instagram videos but everything is so crazy busy that you just kinda blank out...  I would've tweeted celebs but the reception inside wasn't the best.

Erica asked: Your first reactions, absolute favorite and unforgettable moments. Did you get any goodie bags? 
I flipped out when Beyonce and Jay-Z opened the show.  It was wild.  Meeting Quentin Tarantino was cool and seeing Paris Hilton walk in to the after party when we were walking out was surreal.  She looks like an angel in person, totally flawless.  I could not contain myself when Metallica performed, it was amazing.  Katy Perry and Juicy-J performance was just so weird.  Watching the backs of celebrities dancing during performances was also surreal but also made me feel a little bit stalkerish thinking they were right there in front of me.

Danyelle of thecubiclechick.com asked:  Who really sang. Who didn't?  I'm guessing Taylor Swift didn't really sing but I don't know.  All of them sounded so good.

Ruby of growingupblackxican.com asked: After party what was poppin? Favorite moments?  The after party was intense, like a wedding gone wild.  One of my favorite moments was seeing the couples come out during the Same Love performance and then talking to a few of them at the after party.  

I cannot thank MasterCard enough - this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never ever forget.  Read how I found out I was going to the GRAMMYs here.  #PricelessSurprises 

I'm Going To The GRAMMYs!!! #PricelessSurprises

Checking Twitter like I always do when I wake up... Seeing a tweet that I'm going to The Grammys... = @priceless #PricelessSurprises
— Xenia (@RaisedByCulture) January 16, 2014

@RaisedByCulture We're surprising MasterCard cardholders – DM us to find out more! #PricelessSurprises
— Priceless (@priceless) January 16, 2014

That happened 9 days ago.  SURPRISE!  MasterCard is sending me and a friend to The GRAMMYs!!!  It didn't sink in till the next night when I got all the details that I am going!!!  And the MasterCard Pre-GRAMMY Reception and Official GRAMMY Celebration After Party!  There is literally a hundred things you need to do to get ready.  The first was finding a +1.  I wanted to invite a good friend because hello-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity but when I reached out to my select circle, I got every excuse in the book.  Can't take the day off work, starting a new job, I don't have money, I live too far...  What a reality check.  So I asked a new friend.  It's something I've done a lot recently.  (It was in line with my theme word for 2014 - free. More on that later.)

Next, you work on finding a dress.  I wanted edgy for me (not Lady Gaga's definition of edgy) - I thought being plus-size, on a budget and with only a week till the big show would make it hard.  I was ready to be stressed out over a dress but by the power of the internet, I found one online and prayed to the fashion gods that it would be in stock at a local store.  When I saw it hanging on the rack, I swear the ceiling of the store opened up, the sun shined in and angels began singing.  Or maybe that happened when I tried it on.  I can't remember.  I ran to pay and skipped out of the store.  After that I figured everything else would come easy.  Wrong!  I was in search of a few bracelets and a big ring because I pretty much hate earrings and necklaces in my crochety old age.  I wasn't even excited when I found them at like the third store, I was just relieved that I didn't have to keep searching.

After all that, I focused on shoes which I already had but had to convince my husband to customize. I should've done that last because it is freakin' crazy to score a makeup appointment on a Sunday morning and Chris would've been a sure thing.  It was a small miracle I got one.  Thank you beauty gods.

Here's a sneak peek at my shoes - I'll reveal my whole outfit tomorrow!

I got lazy and ditched getting my eyebrows and nails done.  The reality is, the prep work is exhausting for a low maintenance girl like me and I'm just ready to get my party on tomorrow!  Music gods, please let Beyonce & Jay Z be the secret performance.  It would be amazing.

I can't take pictures during the actual show but follow me on Instagram for reception and after party fun!

Who do you think will win Record Of The Year at the 56th GRAMMYs?  

• Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
• Imagine Dragons
• Lorde
• Bruno Mars
• Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams

Starting GRAMMY Night, MasterCard will have exciting news for their cardholders...
I am proof positive that dreams come true.  Thank you MasterCard!

Duke Painting With Alexandre Renoir = Priceless. @Mastercard #Priceless #LA #MC

Our satARTday in Los Angeles started with Duke taking an art class taught by French Impressionist Renoir's great grandson Alexandre Renoir.  Take that in for a moment.  A descendant from one of our great painters Pierre-Auguste Renoir to teach my 7 year old son their wet-on-wet technique.  This was huge for our family because my husband Chris is an artist and fine arts major.  We regularly take our family on trips to museums, galleries and art shows.  The bigs actually just asked us last weekend if we could visit LACMA.  I honestly couldn't believe they asked, it was a proud parenting moment for sure.  Art is everywhere in our home - We are surrounded by my photographs, my husband's paintings, originals and prints we've purchased over the years...  Art is ingrained in our lives.    

If I could buy my way into VIP everything, I would.  Not all of us have the luxury of being invited to coveted events but when you have MasterCard, you can have tacos & tequila with Chef Bobby Flay, get the best seats in the house at Dodger Stadium or have your child paint with Alexandre Renoir.  Experiences like these are Priceless.

Priceless LA is amazing.  I regularly check the site to see if MasterCard added new experiences I can be apart of.  Signing up is free (and easy!)  The next class Alexandre Renoir is teaching happens in September, it is only $25 and ALL proceeds are donated to the Children of War Charity.


The perfect backdrop for little artists!

It is amazing the legacies we create for our families.  Renoir's paintings hang in Galerie Michael right next to his great grandson Alexandre Renoir's paintings.

Minecraft obsessed 7 year old paints a scene from Minecraft.

A Priceless moment is when Alexandre Renoir noticed Duke painted Minecraft and told us the story about how his 6 year old son loves Minecraft too!  Duke was impressed!


This was truly an awesome experience.  Our family was honored to take part in this, thank you MasterCard for keeping art & culture alive!

This Is Our LA #LoveThisCity

There are a million ways to do Los Angeles and having lived in Southern California for over 26 years, I hate to admit that there are still things I haven't seen, done or ate yet!  That is the beauty of this city, everyone has a different, priceless version!  There is always an adventure, I love this city!

Family and friends from out of state have visited California over the years and we always play tour guide.  We love playing tour guide, I think we're awesome at it.  One of our ways to do LA and my favorite is our traditional Sunday Funday - we start off at the Hollywood Farmers Market, order lunch from one of the many vendors, grab a spot on a community table and just enjoy the beauty in the food and people.  Checking out music, sampling fruits and getting fresh squeezed orange juice are other farmers market musts.  Sometimes we peek in at the shops at Space 15 Twenty which is right next to the market.  There's an Urban Outfitters and one Sunday Funday we saw Mr. Brainwash looking at a pair of Adidas.  Random, right?  Next door is Hennessey + Ingalls - an incredible bookstore with amazing titles.  Across the street is Amoeba Music, one of the last standing music stores!  One afternoon we lucked out and watched Peanut Butter Wolf spin a live set.  The area is also known for Nike Montalbán, Iguana Vintage, The Pantages Theatre, W Hollywood, Katsuya.

After eating, we venture out to see art and shop!  My favorite museum is LACMA.  We recently checked out the Stanley Kubrick exhibit.  One of my favorite directors, he definitely understands the art of making a movie.  Our favorite galleries are Gallery 1988 and La Luz de Jesus at WACKO.  I never turn down visiting WACKO - it is a fantastic shop.  Next door is Ozzie Dots, a cool costume shop.  There is no shortage of places to eat/see/do.  The possibilities are endless - culture, adventure and discovery await you!

Will you wanderlust LA with me?  I guarantee you a priceless experience.
priceless.com/losangeles
@priceless

LA is diverse - Chicken Kabob plate from the Greek vendor!

LA is art and film.  The Shining at Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA.

LA is innovative.  Only a rock can bring so much fascination to a city!

LA is random! Ran into tattoo artist Kat Von D outside one of my favorite stores!

LA is fun, silly and full of personality.  LA is not shy!

LA is unique - forget red velvet cake, we do it blue velvet style!

LA is the city of dreams.




Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and MasterCard #CBias #SocialFabric #LoveThisCity