Artificial Flowers

Ack!

2011-01-12T21:10:00.002-05:00

Well something always has to throw a monkey wrench into my plans...as soon as I had finished up my pics yesterday, I got a phone call summoning me to work, and today my son's daycare was closed because of the snow, so he was running amok all day. Needless to say, between shoveling, running after the midget, and trying to catch a nap when my son did, I didn't have the time to upload all my pics...so those will be coming, maybe tomorrow if I can remember to bring my laptop to work with me.

In the meantime, let's talk about a new foundation that I bought; Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser. Ok, so maybe I don't quite need an age rewind foundation yet, but it never hurts to start early, right? Right. I was skeptical about this for a few reasons, most being the typical ones regarding drugstore foundations, but I'd heard from a couple of friends that they really like it, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Right off the bat I can tell you that my "OMFG GERMS!" mindset kicked in, because I realized I was going to have to wash the sponge-like applicator that's attached to the top. I don't know if it's going to affect the product, so I think what I'll likely do is clean it as best as I can with a damp paper towel, spritz with some 90% alcohol that I keep in a travel spray bottle, and then let it air dry. Ok, so it's pretty high maintenance for a bottle of foundation, but when you figure that I'd usually use a brush to at least blend down my neck and such, I suppose it really is the same amount of work, so long as I don't need a brush for this too...

Which I'm happy to report, I don't. I've used the foundation twice so far, and the first time...well...ha, I was standing there clicking for what felt like FOREVER before the product started coming out. Hmm...reminds me of some lipglosses I know...Stila, I'm looking at you! Anyway, once the product started rising and getting into the little spongey doodad (yeah...I just said that), I realized I wasn't going to know exactly how much foundation I was getting...I didn't want it to just sort of splooge all over the place, but I didn't want to be forever clicking just to get decent coverage, either. It actually seemed like it didn't matter, because even though I could see where the foundation was going, I really couldn't see the foundation...does that make sense?

Ok, to try and explain, I usually use one of 3 foundations; MUFE HD Foundation (which I adore), MAC Longwear, or Revlon ColorStay. Because of the nature of my job, and the fact that I'm constantly running around and sweating, if I wear foundation to work, it's either the MAC or Revlon one...if I'm going to hang out with friends, it's usually MUFE, because I prefer the finish and overall look it gives me, but it doesn't stick around through heavy-duty sweating. Anyway, with all three of those foundations, I can always see the foundation on my skin. More so with Revlon and MAC, but even the MUFE looks like foundation sitting on my skin when I get right up close in the mirror. No, it's not a big deal, because NO ONE is going to be examining my face that closely, but *I* notice it, and that's the important stuff, right?

The Maybelline wasn't like that, though...at all. The formula seemed fairly thin, but gave me nice coverage, didn't settle into the scarring on my face (I'll be the first one to tell you my skin SUUUUUCKS), and upon close-up examination, didn't look like there was much on my face. Believe me, you could see the difference from far away, and it looked fantastic, but when I got close to the mirror to check it out, it seemed as though I only had on a tinted moisturizer! It required a tiny bit of blending out with my fingers at the hairline, but nothing major, and really, is something I have to do sometimes anyway, so no complaints there.

Also, I did something bad Monday night, and slept with my makeup on (I know, I know...), but much to my surprise, my skin was no worse for wear come Tuesday morning. Normally, if I'd accidentally done that with my other foundations, I'd wake up with at least one or two blemishes, and that awful bit of forehead bumpiness that tends to happen when I'm slacking in the skincare department.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with this stuff...I'm going to continue to use it, and who knows, maybe I'll see some vague improvement in my skin over the next few weeks, we shall see. So I'm going to say that if you're looking for a good, light-medium coverage drugstore foundation (I haven't really tried to build it up) that won't settle into fine lines or large pores, this one's definitely worth a try. :) Anyone else have experience with this one? Love it, hate it?

Can we try for another resurrection?

2011-01-10T20:32:00.002-05:00

So I'm figuring that maybe...just maybe the third time is a charm.

I've attempted to keep this little blog of mine up to date twice before...and unfortunately haven't been able to be as diligent with it as I'd like...so here's my third and final try. I think it may work this time, though, because unlike the last two attempts, I've got days off during the week, and the munchkin is in daycare...yeah, yeah, I hear you sighing, see those eye rolls, and hear the "Uh huh, yeah, suuuuuure..." or "Yeah, excuses, excuses"...but I promise, baby, this time it'll be different!

Well...for those of you who might care to know, a quickie update, and a few intentions for the next couple posts; Munchkin is 2...he's talking up a storm, telling me no, and repeating almost everything I say...not to mention watching Dora and Diego to the point of insanity. I'm going nuts. Did you know that in the first season (and some of the second) of Dora, that obnoxious map said his name 15 times during his song? Ugh. Seriously? I can tell you're a map...and I'm proud of you that you're also aware of yourself...but 15 times? Isn't that a LITTLE on the excessive side? I think so. Anyhow...so the kid is a giant...and I have to tell you what a little sweetie he is...he's got great manners for a 2 year old; always says please and thank you, and if I tell him I have a boo-boo, he kisses it better for me. Awww! It's those moments that keep me from adhering him to the wall with Velcro. :)

As for me...nothing much of interest to report...I'm working now (although it's a seriously crappy job, for which I'm sickeningly over-qualified, and even more grossly over-qualified), which is only a good thing because of the very necessary medical benefits. I don't need them myself, cuz let's face it; I'm too lazy to update a blog, when I'm on my laptop ALL the damn time, do you really think I'm going to go to the doctor? Ha. That requires effort on my part, and initiation of a conversation with another person via the phone...no sir, I don't like it. The important thing here is that I have benefits for the little guy, which he needs, so I'll suffer the crappy job until I find something better. The sacrifices we make for our children, eh?

On to the things which might be of some interest; I've acquired (read: hunted down at several stores) some of the new Revlon scented polishes, and one of their matte suede polishes, so pics, reviews, and things of that nature will follow over the next two days. I've got one on now; Not So Blueberry, and I'm kinda loving the smell...it'll be interesting to see the wear on these things. So initial pics and opinions will be up between tomorrow and Wednesday, and probably sometime next Monday I'll update with the wear factor. I'm extra hard on my hands at work, so I'll try a couple of different things, as well as seeing how the polish wears for the two days that I'm not at work.

I've been trying to find some good drugstore gems lately, because I'm on a seriously tight budget (my job pays in pennies...I don't make enough for nickles and dimes. ;) ), so if there are any suggestions out there, I'm more than happy to hear about them.

One last thing, in my Revlon search today, I stumbled across a new set of Physician's Formula shimmer strips gel liners, the "Glam Collection"...they looked suuuuuper pretty...I need to investigate those further, come next paycheck. Anybody tried these out? I've used (and really like) the original ones, and the new ones look super pretty...plus I love the idea of 3 gel liners for about $9. I also saw this ridiculous "Happy Booster" powder/blush/bronzer...they're seriously trying to tell you that wearing the products will make you happier, thanks to some botanicals or something in them that are proven to improve mood. WTF? Seriously? Sounds pretty gimmicky to me.

Wait, I'm a liar! I have something else, which I completely forgot about until now! ...I only remembered because I'm annoyed by the Happy Booster crap...but anyway...on to the angry stuff. L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional...The One Sweep. I picked this thing up because I thought they couldn't be serious...but they were. It's a bean-shaped shadow...or rather, SET of shadows (3 strips of color in the same pan...), and a HUGE sponge-tipped applicator. They expect you to take that abomination, swipe it through the shadows, and then sweep it across your lids...then leave the house looking like that. No. I'm not joking. There's a little part of me that wants to buy one of these things, just for the sole purpose of showing you how absolutely RIDICULOUS it is. Maybe after I get paid, I'll sacrifice the $8 in the name of having a good laugh. ...if anyone beats me to it, please let me know. :D

Have a good night, dears...

Fail.

2010-03-11T12:10:00.002-05:00

I forgot about you guys for a while. Well...not so much forgot about you as I was distracted and busy with other stuff. This could be a ridiculous, long blog to catch you up on everything, but my munchkin is napping, and I'm fairly certain he'll be getting up soon. Actually...I think I hear him stirring now. All right, well here's the quick and dirty; I separated from the Navy (YAY!) on the 29th of January, and have come back home to Jersey. Finally. I missed this place...and it's great being in my own home again, rather than in an apartment in stupid Maryland. :D

Baby-wise, he's getting huge...brave (he'll climb from the bottom of the stairs to the top in 3.5 if the gate isn't across!), and just more fun every day. He finally cut two teeth; the bottom ones in front, and let me tell you, his smile has become absolutely hilarious...he gives you this huuuuuuuuge grin, and all you see are two little teeth poking out from the bottom. Love it. This is truly something you have to see to appreciate. He's been having lots of tummy troubles, though...very constipated, SUPER hard bowel movements...I'm concerned. I'm giving him Little Phillip's, but the kid can't live on laxatives. I changed his milk to soy, thinking maybe it was the protein or lactose in the cow's milk, but the soy didn't seem to do much. Since I'm currently unemployed, I signed up for health care for the baby through the state...I'm hoping they approve him soon, so I can get him to a doctor...obviously I wouldn't mind just footing a doctor's bill, but my concern is that if I do, and there's something wrong that requires more than a change in diet or whatnot, I'll have some ridiculous medical bills that I have no means to pay. For now I'm just keeping him on soy (it seems to be a little bit better than when he was on cow's milk), and pushing lots of fruits and vegetables, water, etc. It seems to be helping a little...but he still needs the Phillip's, and I don't like that. Fingers crossed that these guys get on the ball and get him approved quick. Updates will come.

As far as I go...I've been enjoying the time out of the Navy (I painted my fingernails blue, and dyed my hair bright red...HA! TAKE THAT, NAVY!!!), hanging out with the baby, and just all around relaxing. I'm starting to look around at jobs and such, because my back-to-school plan got derailed...and I'm realizing that um...I need to make a lot of money if I go back to work. Daycare is effing expensive. Anyway...besides all that, I've had time playing with makeup, I've bought some new stuff, traded stuff with friends...and introduced my mother to some wonderful things, and now...she's hooked on NARS Dolce Vita. I don't think I've ever told you all how much I adore Dolce Vita. It's seriously one of those universal colors that looks gorgeous on almost everyone I know. Sucks that NARS is so crazy expensive though. Ugh. Whatever...

Ok...cutting this short, here comes babyzilla. :D

It's over...

2009-12-14T11:16:00.005-05:00

So...yesterday was the winter dance showcase for my studio...I had two dances; a cha-cha formation (group dance), and a foxtrot with my dance instructor. This is what I'd been waiting for since I started dancing at the studio a year ago...I mean, there's a summer showcase, which is nice, but it's a small, understated thing...it was held at the studio, not a whole lot of people...you get the idea. The winter one is a big deal...it was at the Sheraton in Columbia, had a buffet dinner and dessert...and not that people don't put a lot of work into the summer showcase (cuz I know I did), but there's something that's just a little more special about this one...it makes you really want to try even harder.

Anyway...the night was bittersweet for me...I had a wonderful time dancing, even though I think our cha-cha was a trainwreck, and I know I've danced my foxtrot routine better in practice than I did last night...but I had fun, and that's what's important. The end of the night saw me getting a little misty-eyed...but I did a good job holding it together, until I went to say goodbye to the studio staff, and my instructor piped up that it was my last showcase. Thanks buddy...I appreciate that. :( I lost it after that, and just started crying like a little girl...because it hit me that I was officially no longer his student...my lessons are over...the showcase is over...and I'm sad.

I feel like I'm losing part of my family...and although I'm still here until the end of January, I no longer have a lesson plan, or anything like that. If I come into the studio, it'll be for parties and things...not my regular weekly getaway. This officially sucks. I'm sitting here wiping away tears as I type.

Yes, I completely understand that there ARE, in fact, dance studios in Jersey...and I'm sure there are very good ones, but...it's not the same...it won't have the same people...and more important than anything else; it won't have my instructor. At this point I can't fathom being taught by anyone else and enjoying it even half as much as I do now. Part of the joy I have when I'm dancing is the personal connection I have with him...and for me, it's hard to make connections like that. We have such a good time while we're dancing, laughing and making jokes...it makes the most boring dances (like the waltz, which usually bores me to tears) fun to learn. It's rare to find a teacher like that once in your life...let alone twice.

Thanks for letting me get all that out...I have a feeling I may not be my usual happy self for a while...but I'll get through it.

The weekend...

2009-12-07T14:14:00.003-05:00

Well, my cousin was getting married this weekend at home in Jersey, so I drove up Friday night with the munchkin...well...I left at 3...I didn't get home until about 8. It's not a 5 hour drive from where I live, up to my house in Jersey...but it turns into one when you have an unhappy infant who just does NOT want to sit in a carseat anymore. *sigh* Oh well...we finally got there, and I pretty much just passed him off to my mom, cuz I was exhausted, frazzled from the drive and my little man's cries, and desperately needed to go to the bathroom and smoke a cigarette. Not necessarily in that order.

It snowed on Saturday!!!! Hooray!!! It was a crappy day...and it was really a snow/rain mix at first, so it made a yucky slush instead of a pretty, white blanket. Stupid rain. ...BUT it still snowed, so I was happy. The wedding was Sunday...thankfully the weather was MUCH better than it had been on Saturday...it was cold outside, but it was bright and sunny, so woohoo! My cousin looked absolutely stunning...I'm a giant sissy and started to cry as soon as she walked into the room! Well...her and I are very close, so it was a huge rush of emotion. It was a lovely ceremony, absolutely RIDICULOUSLY good food (I had the best filet mignon I'd ever tasted...simply incredible), and even better; I got to see my other two cousins that I haven't seen in....hell...13 years or so? I was actually wondering how we would get along, since we haven't spoken (aside from facebook or myspace) in so long, but as soon as I saw them both, I was reassured. The three of us spent the entire reception (aside from the important parts like the toast, dances, etc) dancing like crazy and giggling like schoolgirls. All in all, it was a great time, and it was really nice to be able to reconnect with family that I don't see often. Hooray!

My poor little munchkin was at home with my mom Sunday while I was at the wedding...and apparently he was feeling clingy, because he kept looking for me in the bathroom (he saw me in there a bunch in the morning while I was doing my hair and makeup to get ready), and was very upset when I wasn't there. Poor kid...I'm going to have to make extra cuddle time with him this week. He's also got some strange redness on his cheeks, near his mouth...not right next to his mouth, but maybe about a half inch from either side? I don't know if it's just irritated from his binkie or what...but it was strange, because he just woke up with it like that on Sunday morning. I dunno, I guess I'll give it a couple days and see what happens with it. No need to freak out if it's not spreading.

Well...unfortunately my weekend was pretty unexciting other than the wedding....so I don't have anything fun to blog about today. I'm planning on going to the mall with the baby, though...and attempting to wear him in my Moby wrap...we'll see how long that lasts. Haha.

Well lookie here...

2009-12-03T14:07:00.004-05:00

I got me a shmancy new layout...what do you guys think? I'm seriously loving it...I adore argyle, and I've become a sucker for the color pink...couldn't tell you why, but...yeah. I guess motherhood has made me soft. LOL Whatever. I like it and it makes me happy. Now, if I could just get the offensive red bar from Pyzam to go away, I'd be thrilled. Anyone know how to get rid of it? I'm sure if I poured through the code I could figure it out...buuuuut...I'm lazy. *shrug* Sorry. :D

Very quickly; I went to Sally's last night and picked up some nail polish (amongst other things), and got China Glaze Ruby Pumps and Heart of Africa. Ok...Heart of Africa is a really beautiful dark red, perfect for me to wear on my nails at work, since they frown on glitter...and if you've never seen Ruby Pumps...HOLY HELL! You need it. It's glitter. Red, beautiful, perfect glitter. I put two coats of it on my toenails last night (I've been wearing OPI Barefoot in Barcelona on them for months...they needed a wakeup call), and it's absolutely stunning. It's the perfect holiday color. Love love love. Love.

Did I mention I love it?

Dance tonight...thank goodness. The studio was closed last week because of Thanksgiving, so I haven't had a break from my son in 2 weeks. I adore my son...I think we've established that...but I really need some mommy time once in a while...so tonight I'll get my mommy time again. Yay! ...and I just picked up my showcase dress from the dry cleaner yesterday...so I think I'll bring it in to show to my instructor...I think he'll like it. ...well...even if he doesn't...tough. I'm wearing it. I'll try and put up pictures, if I can.

Ooooh..new people!!

2009-12-01T12:08:00.003-05:00

Hello and welcome to all my friends new to the blog! :D I'm happy to see some familiar faces here...make yourselves at home in my little corner of the interwebs...as you can see, I kind of randomly blog about whatever's on my mind at the time...rants, raves, beauty, babies, etc.

Soooo today, it's another rant...I'm good for those, cuz...well...I'm an angry little girl.

Well...at my job, parking sucks. We have one parking lot...and it's on a hill...so you get a workout if you're parked at the top of it...but if you get here after about 0830, you probably won't get a spot. Fortunately we have an overflow parking lot about a mile away from my building...it has plenty of parking spaces, and we've got shuttles that drive back and forth between the lot and the building, for those of us too lazy to walk. For the most part, it's a great little setup, but there's one shuttle driver who makes me absolutely, bat sh*t crazy.

Now, I understand the notion of waiting for someone if they're running toward the shuttle...that's just the polite thing to do...but this guy. This guy sits. And waits. And waits. Now these guys are on a schedule...but damned if that schedule doesn't go to sh*t when this guy's driving...because he will NOT leave the parking lot until there's NO ONE in it. I'm serious. If we're starting to pull away when a car drives in, he'll stop and wait until the person finds a spot, parks, gets their crap together, rummages through their trunk, plays a game of monopoly, locks the car, walks toward the bus, realizes they forgot their coffee, walks back to get it, and then finally makes their way back to, and on the bus. Once we've finally picked up this jacka** and start to FINALLY leave...another car comes in...and so it goes, on and on and on. I told you it's only about a mile from this lot to my building...short drive...well with THIS dude, there've been times when I've gotten up to my desk a full HALF HOUR after I got on the bus. Are you kidding me?! Do these guys get paid per person?!?!?!

Some days I just really hate people. Really. A lot. No joke.

On a completely different note; where IS everyone today? It seems like everyone has collectively taken the day off but me. I'm hungry. What's for lunch? Ah...speaking of lunch, that's something else I should really include in my little blog...food and recipes that I love...let's see if I can remember one off the top of my head...Oh! Here we go...my favorite; cheesecake!

Missy's favorite cheesecake recipe

Crust:

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed (you can use the pre-made crumbs, too...I want to say it's a cup and a half, but find what works best for you)

1/4 cup of sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

orange zest

Melt the butter in a medium size bowl, and combine with the other ingredients. You want the ratio of crumbs to butter to be such that the crumbs want to stick together, but aren't completely soaked with butter. If it seems too buttery, add some more crumbs to it...there's a bit of trial and error involved with finding the ratio that you prefer. Just remember to write down all the ratios you try, and the result of them, that way you won't forget! Once you've got the crust all mixed together, press it into the bottom and sides of a springform pan (this is why we want it somewhat sticky...otherwise it won't stick to the sides). I usually spray a little bit of Pam for baking into my pan first...you don't necessarily have to, but I recommend it, especially if your cheesecake batter will be touching the sides of the pan at all, rather than the crust.

The good part:

3 packages of cream cheese (I use Philadelphia...and DON'T use the fat free or reduced fat stuff! It'll totally throw off the recipe!)

8oz sour cream (I like Breakstone...and again, no using the fat free or reduced fat stuff!)

3 large eggs

1 Cup sugar

2 tsp Grand Marnier (or whatever orange liquer you have)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for a light-coated pan, or 325 for a dark one.

Whip the cream cheese one at a time until fluffy. Add in the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensure that each one is fully incorporated before you add the next. Add in the Grand Marnier and mix again. Follow with the sour cream and beat lightly until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the springform pan and set on the middle rack in your oven for 50-60 minutes. This will vary with each oven...start checking it around 50 minutes, just stick a toothpick in the middle, and if it comes out clean, you're done. Once the cheesecake is finished baking, turn the oven off and let it sit with the oven door partially open for an hour. After the cheesecake has rested for an hour, you can put on whatever topping you'd like (I prefer this one without a topping), cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator to set overnight.

You can also set the pan in a water bath when you're baking it, which supposedly prevents the cake from cracking, but I find it's too much of a pain in the butt (you have to wrap the bottom of the pan in foil to make sure no water gets into it), and also because you've used alcohol in the batter, it tends to puff up higher than it would normally, so the water bath doesn't honestly make a difference here.

The Grand Marnier doesn't leave a very strong taste at all, and since you control how much orange zest is in the crust, you can decide how much flavor that has...but the hint of orange really is lovely. I started making my cheesecake this way a couple years ago, when I wanted to experiment, and everyone who's had it really enjoys it, so it's become my signature cake. If you don't want, or don't like the GM, you can add vanilla extract in its' place, and leave out the orange zest alltogether. You can also make a GM/sugar reduction to drizzle over the cheesecake if you want to add another little pop of flavor.

This cheesecake recipe has the benefit of being extremely versatile. You can substitute and add things, and it'll still be a good recipe, proportion-wise. I made one recently with Disarono (amaretto liquer) in place of the GM, and almond biscotti as the crust...that one was also a big hit. LOL

Use your imagination and experiment...it's fun, and even your "accidents" are delicious. :)

My, have I been slacking...

2009-11-30T12:27:00.003-05:00

Well...I've certainly been slacking in my blog duties, haven't I? For all 2 of you who follow my blog, I'm terribly sorry!

So it's been...what...almost 4 months since I've sat down and written a blog...no excuses, I've just been lazy, and completely forgot about it for a while...so let's do some catching up, shall we?

In the world of Missy; for the last few months I've been practicing and working hard on my routine for my dance showcase in December. I'm doing a foxtrot to Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin (can't say you didn't see this one coming...), and I'm in the formation dance, which is a cha-cha to Smooth by Santana. I'm really excited about both routines...my instructor and I have been working our tails off to perfect the foxtrot, and since I love the song so much, I've been putting that much more effort into it. I usually prefer the smooth dances over the latin ones, but the cha-cha routine is really fun too, so I'm actually having a good time with that.

I'm also gearing up to get out of the Navy at the end of January...I'm SO excited about that...I'll be moving back home to Jersey where I belong, where a good 95% of my friends and family are. Woohoo! The only thing that really sucks is leaving the dance studio...I've made some great friends there, and it's sad that I won't be able to continue there...I love them, but I'm not commuting down to MD once a week to dance. Noooo thank you. Hopefully I can find a good studio somewhere near me in Jersey, but then there's still the question of whether or not I'll find an instructor like the one I have. Alex is hysterical...a good portion of our lessons are spent laughing, and I honestly think that's what has made learning how to dance so enjoyable. Granted, it's fun anyway, but there are definitely some parts that get me frustrated, and God bless Alex for putting up with my quirks and moods. Seriously...people like that are hard to come by in general, let alone dance instructors. Poop. I don't want to leave. *sigh*

In the world of Brennan's Mommy; Well, my little man is not so little anymore...he'll be 11 months old tomorrow, and is already taking his first steps. He still has no teeth...but he's cruising the furniture around the apartment, and is pretty determined to walk. I have a feeling he'll have the hang of it within the next couple weeks...he may be walking (a bit unsteadily, perhaps, but still walking) by the time we go home for Christmas vacation. We had our first Thanksgiving at my good friend's house, and he thoroughly enjoyed his meal...after fighting sleep for about 30 minutes, he passed out for a good couple hours...all splayed out with his arms up over his head and everything. It was quite an amusing sight.

With him being all mobile and such, he's started playing a new game; let's give mommy a heart attack. He tries to dive head-first off the couch...and of course, he thinks it's hysterical, and oh-so-much fun when mommy catches him and flips him back upright. I hope this is just a phase, because I don't know how to break him of it...obviously I'm not going to let him succeed in diving onto the floor. Oh well...even if it gives me a heart attack, it IS pretty funny to watch. He's also at the stage where he's hitting. He's not doing it to be mean (he just does it in general, not when he's angry), but man, does it hurt! He's caught me in the face a few times, and wow...I have a baby Bam-Bam on my hands! I keep catching his hands and telling him "No!", but right now I guess he doesn't quite get it, so he laughs. I'm hoping that if I just keep doing it, he'll figure it out...either that or I'm going to have to start getting up and walking away for a minute when he starts hitting me. One way or another, it has to stop.

He's also drinking whole milk, and eating big people food...thank goodness for the milk part of the deal, because it's SO much cheaper than formula! Instead of spending almost $75 every two weeks JUST on formula, I wind up spending about $15 for a couple gallons of milk. I'm supplementing him with multi-vitamins, too, that way I know he's getting what he needs, but what a relief to not have the expense of formula anymore! Ohhhh and the table food...this little boy is such...well...a little boy. LOL Whether I've just finished feeding him or not, if I'm eating something, he wants it. So we've started into the stage where mommy isn't allowed to eat a whole meal by herself...I have to share at least some of it...or get him something else that he can eat, so he feels included. We go to the diner with my friends sometimes, so I get him a pancake (their pancakes are HUGE!), and tear it into pieces for him. He sits in the high chair quietly and stuffs his little face until it's gone. So cute.

In my health and beauty world; Well, first and foremost, I found a new beauty forum which I LOVE; www.lovelifelipstick.net stop by and say hello, everyone's really friendly over there, and super helpful! You may see some familiar faces (or names, anyway...).

Right about the time I forgot about my blogging, I started a new skincare routine...before I started, I was seriously considering some heavy chemical peels because of all the acne scarring I had, but I had to get the little breakouts I was having under control before they would do anything. I started using MAC's Cremewash, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, and Moisturelush moisturizer (I was also using Clindamycin, a topical antibiotic). After a couple weeks of using this stuff, my skin started to look really great. The Cremewash got my face SO clean, VAE was making it smooth, and seemed to help minimize the appearance of my pores and scars, and the Moisturelush was adding enough moisture to my skin that it actually got LESS oily than I've ever been before. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was by all this...I've searched for YEARS for a way to make my skin less oily, and I've finally found it.

- Apparently the last few months were perfect for finding some HG products...aside from the skincare stuff (MAC, please make VAE permanent! PLEASE!), I discovered my HG primer and foundation combo; MUFE HD primer in blue, and HD foundation in 117...followed by HD powder once I'm done with the blush/contour routine. I know there's a lot of hype surrounding HD products, and some may or may not deliver, but these three definitely do. The blue primer helps to brighten up my pale skin, and keep oilies at bay, the foundation has the perfect amount of coverage, but still manages NOT to look like I'm wearing heaps of makeup, even if I am, and the HD powder helps keep me from getting oily, without making me look cakey. Plus there's the benefit of looking like I've got a soft focus lens in front of my face. Between all three of them, I can actually pretend I have decent skin...thank you MUFE...even though you're ridiculously expensive, I love you anyway. Oh, I should also mention that some of my friends who are WOC find that the MUFE HD powder leaves a whitish cast on them, so you may want to try it before you shell out the money. :)

- Illamasqua...I love these people...seriously. I've got a few of their products (not as many as I'd like, because I don't have the $$ to spend), and I'm seriously in love with all of them. I've got their rich liquid foundation, powder foundation (which I LOVE, but it's the wrong color for me...it's way too pink...), two blushes, two shadows, two lipsticks, an intense gloss, a sheer gloss, and their bronzing duo in Glint/Writhe. I think I talked about some of these in my first post...so I'll skip those...I got two more shadows, Yes! (a matte, bright yellow), and Slink (a champagne-y color). For anyone who ever had a problem with Chrome Yellow from MAC...Yes! may be your answer...it wasn't chalky at all, but buttery smooth like their other matte shades. Slink is a gorgeous color, very pretty on the lid for a neutral eye. I don't wear a lot of neutrals, so I can't compare it to any other shadow colors, but I can tell you I love it! The powder foundation, like I said, it's the wrong color for me, but the formula itself, and the coverage it gives you are AMAZING! I'm seriously digging this stuff, and although I'm not usually a fan of powder foundations, I could happily wear this (in the proper shade, of course) for every day.

The rich liquid foundation is aptly named. It's SERIOUSLY high coverage. I put this stuff on with my fingers when I first got it, and before I buffed it in, added my blush, contour, and highlight, my skin seriously looked flat. Wow. I have to admit I haven't worn this much, because a.) I'm not really convinced it's the right shade for me (I wish I could see it in person before I buy it!!!!), and b.) I don't really have anywhere that I need to wear full coverage foundation to...although I have used it a few times mixed with my moisturizer, and that looks great! I use very little foundation in my moisturizer/foundation ratio...like a nickel-size amount of moisturizer and a tiny glob of foundation that's maybe...the size of a pencil eraser. Even with that little amount of foundation, it still gives quite a bit of coverage, but feels nice and light on my skin. Score! Aaaaaand last, but not least, the bronzing duo; I'm in bronzer heaven with this. Both shades are slightly shimmery, although not too much...I can use the darker of the two to contour my face, and it looks fine, no random glitter on my face...and the lighter one makes a great sun-kissed highlighter for me, with the shimmer in it adding just a subtle sheen, rather than a slap of sparkles. Someone needs to get this brand into ALL the Sephora stores...I hate having to order it online because the nearest store that sells it is forever away. Illamasqua, are you listening??? I adore your products...please give me more of a chance to see them, touch them, fawn over them, and impulse-buy them!

The last order of business...my weight. Ugh. This has been a struggle since I had the baby. I just CAN'T lose weight. I try and try...and nothing seems to work. I'm so frustrated I have no idea what to do. I'm only 3 pounds lighter than I was at my 6 week checkup after having munchkin...god I'm so ready to quit. >:(

Why do they do this..??

2009-08-10T08:15:00.002-04:00

So I was on my way in to work this morning, when I saw something that aggravates the crap out of me; some lady wearing running shoes (ie. athletic sneakers) with a dress. Ok...I have many things to say about this...first of all, I understand the notion of wearing flat shoes until you get in the office, because the parking lot across the street is a giant hill...and some ladies just aren't talented enough to walk down a hill in high heels. I get it...but good lord, can't you just get a pair of cute flats to throw on?! I don't know why, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves...I don't want to walk around a business environment and see women wearing dresses, skirts, or skirt suits with effing sneakers. I get the idea of business casual, but don't you think you're taking it a bit too far? You look like an idiot!

My favorite is the one chick I see all the time who wears a nice outfit, stockings, white SLOUCH SOCKS and sneakers. ...seriously? Have we stepped back into the 80s? You wanna be comfortable, fine, but again, get a pair of flats to wear, don't wear sneakers!! It's not that hard to get a couple pairs of flats that'll match pretty much every outfit you have...and even if they don't match exactly, I'd still rather see you in shoes that slightly mismatch your outfit than in sneakers which look COMPLETELY ridiculous. The only ladies who would get a reprieve for this would be ladies who work in the city and walk to work. I've run around New York City in heels for 30+ blocks...it's not really a good time, so if you wanna wear sneakers, then by all means, that's completely logical. Why not wear the flats, you ask? Well let's be honest...as cute as some of those flat shoes can be, they're really not made for distance walking, and have little to no support...so although our city business woman may be all right for the first couple days, maybe a week, after a while, the lack of support would start to take a severe toll on her poor tootsies. In her case, yes, please wear the sneakers...but for all you other ladies guilty of this...STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!!!!!
End rant. :D

Dance, Dance, Dance...

2009-08-06T15:30:00.002-04:00

It's Thursday. Thursdays are the days where I get "me" time...I have my ballroom lessons, and my cousin takes the baby for me. It's a little different today, she took him for me last night, cuz I was sick as a dog, and didn't get any sleep the night before. I'm taking lots of vitamin C and zinc, and got lots of rest last night...amazingly, I'm feeling a lot better, and my nose is no longer a dripping faucet. Hooray! I considered canceling my lesson for tonight, but seriously...this is my weekly escape...my little oasis in the desert of motherhood. That's not to say that I don't like being a mommy...but being a single mom, I don't really get a break. If I go out, the baby comes with me, if I'm staying in, the baby's with me...and believe me, I'm not complaining, I love that little man to death, but even the most dedicated mommy needs a break sometimes. Fortunately I've got a wonderful cousin with three awesome daughters, and they adore my son, so they take him for me so I can go to my dance lessons and actually spend the 45 minutes dancing and not running back and forth between the dance floor and the baby.

We had ballroom bootcamp this past Saturday...it was 8 hours of awesomeness. Started with a stretch class, latin cardio, foxtrot/waltz class...etc etc...it was great. I wound up hurting myself a little during the isolation and cuban motion class, cuz it's all hip work...my right hip decided that 45 minutes of cuban motion was not a good thing, and decided to pop out. Ouch! I got it back in without much issue, and I had brought a giant bottle of 800mg motrin with me, so I popped one of those and just sat out the rest of the class. Sucks, cuz that was a fun one, but we have to listen to our bodies. Hip or not, I felt so awesome after the day was over...I didn't want it to end! I really could've kept going...and I suddenly realized how much I really do love to dance. It took me a little while to find my niche in dancing...ballet, tap, jazz...none of those were for me, nor is that ridiculous dry humping they try to call "dancing" in clubs, I think it's stupid. Give me a good foxtrot, though, and I'm happy...I'm even starting to like the waltz, so long as the music's not slow and boring.

It's sort of amusing, the way that dancing changes little things about you...when I used to listen to music, I just kind of idly sat back and listened, bopped my head, sang along, etc. Now I'm finding myself counting...or tapping out steps on my steering wheel. I can't listen to Disturbia without doing the cha-cha in my head now...I haven't decided whether I'm happy about this, or slightly annoyed. LOL Well...I'm going to run home and get ready for said lesson...my instructor and I are working on my dance for the showcase in the winter...it's a Foxtrot to Mack the Knife. :D

Sephora haul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-05T14:04:00.001-04:00

Haha...I was stupidly excited over this...I ordered a bunch of stuff from Sephora on Friday morning, and yesterday when I got home from picking up my son, it was sitting in front of my door...SCORE! Ok...so here's what I bought;

Urban Decay Box of Potions; Has a lip primer, shadow primer, lash primer, and two different face primers...a pore perfecting one, and a brightening one...I'm officially in love with the pore perfecting primer...I'm going to have to post pictures later, when I get a chance. Woo!

OPI for Sephora Dark Room nail polish - a BI exclusive color, and so far, I'm loving it. It's a really dark green color, and although some Sephora reviews claim that it's just black...they're idiots. Ok...that's harsh, but I'm wearing this color on my toenails right now, and it looks beautiful!

Illamasqua Blusher in Panic and Unrequited - OMG...Panic...it'll PUT you into a panic if you're not super careful with it. It's red. When I say red, I mean it...it's an effing RED blush...I tapped (gently!) my bristles into it once, and had enough pigment on the brush, even after tapping the brush and gently blowing off the excess, to give my cheeks the "I just came inside from a walk on a chilly fall day" look. It was REALLY beautiful, but if you're not careful with it, you're gonna look like a fool. Unrequited was a really pretty pink...I don't have anything amazing to say about it, I guess because it was just a really lovely natural pink, and compared to the OMG! of Panic, there's just not much to say. The blushers both have a lovely, smooth texture, and I'm extremely happy with them!

Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Sex and Moonflower - Ok...for those of you who griped and griped about Gesso...you need Sex. LOL Seriously...it's a matte white, but the texture is buttery soft, and it left my lids stark, paper white after two or three swipes. Gorgeous. I love it. Moonflower is officially my new highlight. It's amazing. It's a white/silver shimmer, and it does exactly what it says...shimmers. It's not shiny...it's not glittery...it's just the perfect balance (for me, anyway) of a hint of color, and enough light-catching particles to go "Hey look at me...because I'm pretty, not because I look like a disco ball".

Illamasqua Lipgloss in Indulge (Intense) and Divine (Sheer) - Ok...I love these. Divine is a sheer hot pink...and they delivered. It's beautiful. I'm covering that quickly, because I wasn't so thrilled with Indulge at first. It's supposed to be neon pink. Um. I don't think so Illamasqua...either you got that one WAY wrong, or someone mislabeled my tube...cuz it's CORAL. Fortunately I love coral...not as much as hot pink...but I love it just the same...and it just so happens that I also bought.....

Illamasqua Lipstick in Over - Which should be a bright matte coral...it's bright...and coral...and matte...but for some reason, I wasn't loving the way it applied on my lips...I tried from the tube and using a brush...I just wasn't too happy with it...but then I spied my Indulge gloss and had a stroke of genius...apply Indulge on top of Over! Yes! The result was (for me, anyhow) the PERFECT coral lip...well-pigmented, glossy, and it lasted through my cigarettes, dinner, and bottle of beer. w00t! Goodbye Vegas Volt...I love you...we had some good times...but I need to move on.

So...that was my haul...I'm CRAAAAAZY excited over it all...I can't wait to go home and play with it again.

Makeup: My holy grail products - The basics

2009-07-28T10:22:00.003-04:00

I figured I might as well start this sucker out by introducing you to my very favorite makeup products...after much searching, and trying many different brands, formulations, and finishes, these are the ones that have made the cut to "HG" status for me.

A little bit, quickly, about my skin; I'm extremely oily...am very acne prone (the littlest thing will cause me to break out like a teenager), have extensive acne scarring, which I'm VERY self-conscious about, and when I sweat, I sweat hard. None of that girly, dainty perspiring stuff. Nope...I SWEAT. These are the things that've held up to a full day of wear, and made it look as though I've got somewhat decent skin. Some of this has to do with skincare, but I'll cover that another time. ...let's get started.

Moisturizer - Because it's a staple for good makeup application, I'm including this here. Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15. Because I'm a pale girl, I need some sun protection in my moisturizer, and being so oily, I need to keep my skin hydrated without having it break out or look like an oil-slick. This stuff does the trick. It was recommended to me by one of my girls at Sephora, and I'm SO grateful to her for it! My skin is soft, moisturized, and best of all, is NOT breaking out from this. I've found my favorite moisturizer. You can find it here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61207&categoryId=C16701 It's $27 for a 1oz tube, but you seriously don't need a lot of this stuff at all, so it'll last you quite a while.

Primer - MUFE HD Primer in blue. Like I said before, I'm on the fair side, so a little help brightening my face is certainly not a bad thing, and this stuff is great. Plus it blurs minor imperfections, and helps my foundation look a little better than it would on its' own...obviously that's the point of a primer, but not ALL of them do that...and for me, not all of them do it without causing me to break out or look like I smeared olive oil all over my face. Fortunately this stuff works, and it's totally worth the $32 price tag. A little bit goes a long way, so this will last you, too, as long as you don't go nuts with it. :) Find it here www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P217906&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=4028

Foundation - This has been the bane of my existence since my first dabblings in makeup. I wanted to love MAC foundation, but either it breaks me out, doesn't stay on my face (Studio Fix Powder, I'm talking to you!), or I can't find a color match...it's either too yellow, or turns orange on me. Ugh. Well after much searching, I've found two foundations that I totally swear by.

For daytime, when I don't want such a heavy coverage, I use Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily skin. I know...drugstore foundation, who'd have thought..??? It seriously works, though. It stays on ALL day long, even through sweating, working out, crying, sleeping, and swimming! Yes...I went swimming with it on...and not recreational swimming, lap swimming. I was in the pool for about an hour or so, and my Colorstay was STILL on when I got out to take a shower. Wow. Plus, at $12.99 a bottle, it's not a bad deal. :D Yay! You can buy this at almost any drugstore...I got mine at Target, but check out the sales, I know CVS and Walgreens always have sales, a lot of times it's BOGO free. Gotta love that.

For evening, or times that I need more coverage, I go to DiorSkin Forever. At $44 a pop I know it's a little pricey for some, but I honestly only need one pump (maybe another half pump for extra extra coverage in some areas) to get amazing coverage. I use this with a #55 Platinum brush from Sephora, and aside from getting great coverage, I get a beautiful, nearly flawless finish. For my skin, this is HIGHLY impressive. Beacause it covers so well, I was a little worried at first about breaking out, or getting yucky and oily, but neither worry was a reality. Oh sure, I'm still oily, but the foundation isn't making things worse...and it's certainly not causing me to look like pizza face either. Score! :) I love you Christian Dior. Find it here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P194401&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=1073

Setting powder - I thought I'd found my HG powder with MACs mystery powder...but then I went to Sephora and investigated this strange, slippery powder by MUFE, and my life was forever changed. The second I buffed the MUFE HD powder into my completely naked skin, I knew I was in love. I wasn't expecting to see much of a difference in my face, except for maybe less shine...but I was in for the shock of my life. I checked myself out in the mirror, and it looked like someone was holding a soft-focus lens in front of my face. For a second I thought it was Sephora's mirrors (tricky little bastards!), but I pulled out my own mirror and looked...and saw the same thing! The powder itself is $30, and the kabuki brush (which is the softest thing I've EVER felt on my face) is $39, so this may be steep even for the most dedicated beauty-lover. Fear not! I bought mine in a set from Sephora during the holidays. It was considerably cheaper than the $69 price tag that they would have if you bought them separately...plus, the powder is another case of "a little goes a long way". I've been using this EVERY DAY since I bought it almost a year ago, and I've still got at least 3/4 of the jar left! Totally worth every penny. Find it here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P210400&categoryId=C13402

Eyeliner - Since I'm oily, I need a liner that's gonna stay in place, and not be a giant pain in the a** to apply...that's where you come in, MAC Fluidline. Comes in a nice little screw top glass jar (don't drop it!!!), and a fairly nice line of colors. Blacktrack (black) and Blitz'n'Glitz (black with a bit of gold shimmer) are my two faves. Blacktrack is great for a typical black liner, and so is BnG, but it looks a bit less harsh, due to the shimmer. They go on nice and creamy, work well in my waterline, as a tightline, and a cateye, too. They're slightly blendable until they dry, but once they've dried down, they won't budge. As a plus, I recently found out that if I apply one of my pencil liners over top of my fluidlines, they'll actually stay on longer...even in the waterline, and I'm not just talking about powerpoints, and any other regular eye pencil, I'm talking about my kohls, too! Usually those suckers smear and run within the first 10 minutes, and I wind up looking like a strung-out crackwhore. Courtney Love, what? Anyway...you can find them here http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT151&PRODUCT_ID=898 They're $15 a pot, but I JUST replaced my BnG (which I use ALL the time) which I got well over a year ago, so again, totally worth it. Notice a theme here? I don't mind spending a lot of money if the product will last me a while. :D

Mascara - Ok...this one's hard for me...I'm the girl everyone hates. I've got long, curly lashes naturally...so why bother with mascara, right? Wrong. You just don't look polished without your lashes...even us blessed girls...and I know I personally have a really hard time with mascara BECAUSE of my lashes being long and curly. Usually my lashes wind up clumping, and I need to work really hard with a lash brush to get things to resemble "nice". I used to be in love with MACs Fibre Rich mascara...but they changed the brush recently, and completely killed what was so wonderful about the mascara to begin with. Idiots. I'm so pissed. Anyway...fortunately I was able to find a GOOD mascara that makes my lashes long, lush, and UN-clumpy. Benefit's BadGal Lash. 3 coats of this stuff, and it looks like I'm wearing falsies. I did a random experiment with this stuff, and just applied coat after coat after coat...until I got to about 7. Once I got to 7, my lashes started looking a little ridiculous, but up until about 5 or 6, they still looked nice...I was impressed. This is a hard feat to accomplish. Kudos to you Benefit! $19 and worth every penny...even if it IS a product you have to toss in 6 months. Find it here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P49014&categoryId=C10339

Eye primer - I don't have to remind you about the oilies...well they make it very hard for me to keep eyeshadow on, and even more, keep it from creasing. Fortunately Urban Decay has come to my rescue. There's a million reviews on this stuff, so I'll spare the in-depth rave...and just say that it effing rocks. Buy it. Now with a new bent wand! Thank you Urban Decay! Find it here http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P74310&categoryId=C10461

I do have HG lipsticks, shadows, highlighters, blushes, etc, but that's another blog all together. This one's long enough. Thanks for reading. :)

The first one...

2009-07-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

...and it's going to be a quickie. I just wanted to say hello, and I'm very new at this blogging idea, so it's just kind of going to be a mish mosh of crap that's in my head at any given moment. If anyone has suggestions or questions about any of my random assortment of ideas, please let me know, and I'll be happy to blog about it. I stick mostly to things I know; tattoos, makeup (and skincare in general), music, movies, and motherhood ( I WILL tell you the truth about labor and delivery if you ask...you've been warned). Other than that...thanks for visiting my little corner of the interwebs...