It has happened. I have met HotPants Dave and it was faaaabulouuuusss… He is SO sweet and personable and down to earth. He spent a couple of minutes telling us about himself. Dave went to art school and studied illustration. Wanted to work for Disney more than anything, so when he got a job as a visual merchandiser, he thought it would be great but it was really just moving things around and not creating. He worked his way through a few departments at Disney, learning to sculpt and paint and draw outside of his usual genre. He was living in Orlando, working where he could work, until his roomate saw an ad for HGTV’s Design Star and he applied. At the time, it was not announced that it would be a reality show. Designers applied, viewers voted online, easy and subdued.

THEN he found out that Design Star was a reality show, and he had to move to New York for 5 weeks! He went through the process, did his best, thought it’d be a quick and dirty thing, and ended up winning. That, as they say, was all she wrote and we now have his hit TV show Colorsplash which has just filmed it’s 3rd season and was renewed for a 4th!

Dave answered tons of questions on color as the spokesman for Mythic paints. People were encouraged to bring photos and have questions. I love that he took each question seriously and asked a lot of followup questions — what mood are you going for, how much light does the room get, do you want to be brave with color? And he was also honest in that you don’t always need a ColorSplash– if you spend a ton of money on expensive materials, you probably want a classy, muted look, not something bold and bright. I watch HGTV a LOT (for a young person) so I loved hearing his advice and seeing the photos that people brought. Great turn out, the room was full.

Below are some photos and video! You can’t really hear him but who cares? ARMS!!!

I love these music survey things. I have so much stuff on my iPod that I forgot I a) liked and b) actually added. Oy. Let’s see what we’ve got:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Lollipop (Mika) …Uhm. Well. Lickable…???  I don’t know.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A BOY?
9 to 5  (Dolly Parton) .. Yeah after about 8 hours…. get out.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
The Bad Guys Always Die  (Eminem) ….I don’t know if I’m the bad guy or…..???  But at least Dre is on this track?

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Tender Love  (Force MD’s) …If only you knew how funny this was. And how I have no idea who Force MD’s are. A musical troupe of physicians? *shrug*

WHAT’S YOUR MOTTO?
How Can I Fall (Breathe) …Kind of appropriate. I do all my own falling. it’s a skill. I find a new way to fall everyday.  And WOW this song is old!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Cherish  (Kool& The Gang)  …I might be a little egotistical but of my real friends, I’d say this is true. Okay, acquaintances, too.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Captain  (Dave Matthews Band) … I guess so. I’m the strong one. Big Mike is the ‘avoider’.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
True Colors  (Cyndi Lauper) …I love this song. It kind of makes me cry. And it’s actually pretty true. A lot of times I wonder if people are like… really real with me. Is that you, or the you that you want me to see, or know? I’m real. Are you?

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
All I Need  (Jack Wagner) … I just wrote it down.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
River of Dreams (Billy Joel)  …Hm. Not quite GreenEyes but uhm… I could make it work…

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Next Time I Fall (Peter Cetera/ Amy Grant) … Yeah, I’m always talking about the next time I fall in love. Like, all day it’s all I talk about. *rolleyes* But yeah. I’ll know better what to do. Keep my effing mouth shut.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
What Love Is  (Mary J Blige) … I don’t like this meme all of a sudden

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Coming Up (Paul McCartney) …I don’t like anyone but it’d be nice to have someone on deck!

WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bootylicious (Destiny’s Child)  …Uhm. I seriously don’t think anyone can handle this jelly. But OMG how fun would this be for my bridesmaids…. in their frilly ugly fuschia knee length taffeta and glittery open toed sandals…. yeah. Picture it, ya’ll. My Big Fat Bootylicious Wedding. I don’t think you can handle this…

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Every Little Step (BOBBAY!  Bobby Brown) …I was just talking about Mr Brown yesterday. It’d be appropriate.  I’d like to be wearing the little red bike shorts he’s wearing in this video.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I Wanna Have Some Fun  (Samantha Foxx) … We’re probably not talking about the same kind of fun. *blank stare* Maybe.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
The Boy from Ipanema (Diana Krall) …Actually if the boy was holding a snake, or he was pushing me out of a plane, I’d be scared.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Nite And Day (Al B Sure) …Yes. I have a prominent unibrow. And…. I feel better having admitted it to the world.

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Nothin’ But A Good Time (Poison) … And no more Brett Michael’s Reality Shows

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Take a Chance on Me (ABBA) …I just think this song rocks. And so do my friends.  *dances*

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Bust a Move (Young MC) …HA! I love it. I met Young MC once, back in the day when I was a radio girl. Nice, nice, nice guy. Very intelligent.

Ah, that was fun. *Rewinds to Bootylicious again*

I love that Stevie Nicks is playing guitar on this song. Love love love her! And love the MJ tribute!

Anyone who’s known me for longer than five minutes will tell you that I’m a big fan of two bands: Bon Jovi and Dave Matthews Band. I’ve been a fan of Bon Jovi since I was about……God, I don’t know, TWELVE?!? New Jersey and Slippery When Wet were the anthem of my Jr High and High School years. Just the beginning strains of ‘Never Say Goodbye’ is enough to make me GO BUY a Bic Lighter so I could flip my bic and sway and sing/cry along. Gah. I love them! And Bon Jovi has just gotten so much better with age, evolving and changing with the times. LOVE their new rocky, gravelly, southern sound…grrrooowwwllll…. NUM.

DMB, on the other hand, was an acquired taste. I didn’t like them, at first. At all. Too mellow, too sleepy, I can’t understand a word that one cute guy up front says, he mumbles too much and that guy is playing an electric fiddle. COME ON. So they were a big fat NO, until I got a job working with a guy that… now when I say LOVES, that’s probably a major understatement… but he LOVES DMB. Owns everything they’ve ever thought of recording, goes to every show he can attend, and has for years. A real true-blue honest to goodness fan. One year, our company sent him, me, and one other guy (one of his besties, coincidentally) to a conference in Orlando. MOST fun I’ve ever had at a work conference. The days sucked, cause it’s just traveling from one booth to another, looking at boring things I have no intention of buying or even research when I get back to the office, but the nights? Awesome.

It was in Orlando in the spring, so it was warm. They rented a convertible and since I don’t drink much, I was nominated the Designated Driver. No big, I got to drive a convertible around Orlando and sit with these guys who put the FUN in funny. I was told I am the funnest non-drinker ever. At some point over the weekend, I was inducted into the DMB fandom. Love those guys. [Read more →]