product, product, happy tea!

Good Monday to you! Hope you had a fabulous weekend that will get you through the work week. Last week there were no products, but this week there are three! Lucky ducks.

The Good

Volume Spray 25

Kenra

Most fantastic hairspray to ever grace my thin baby hair with its presence. It smells good, gives your hair volume and hold, with the love only a hairspray can give. My indecisive nature often comes into play, and this wonder-can allows for recreation without creating sticky starch hair. Love.

The Bad

Definity Intense Hydrating Cream

Olay

As the temperature dropped, my skin slowly required more and more moisturizer. After reading some rave reviews about this Olay Definity Moisturizer, I picked some up at Ulta with decent expectations. But this was a disappointment from the beginning. The consistency lacks any creamy nature. It is water-like and not at all "intensely hydrating," as it claims. This may be better for the summer, but I was not satisfied, and, after a couple months, there was no change in skin tone.

And then if you're ever having a bad day, because it's a Monday perhaps, drink this:

Woman's Energy

Yogi Tea

Works every time. But make sure honey is added.

It's magic tea: turns that frown upside down.

Weekend Trip to Nawlins

Happy Weekend! 

I'm headed to New Orleans with a group of friends from college! New Orleans is different every time I go and that constant evolution makes for an interesting and enjoyable experience each time. Last year I went with a friend for a relaxing girls' weekend, and it was fabulous.

 Hopefully this trip includes:

a relaxing escape from the real world 

a hurricane or two

laughter with friends

Cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde

browsing through the French Quarter

Gumbo or Po' Boy

street performers

live jazz

Hot Off the Press, in low viscosity rayon

(viThis morning the Today Show was on in the background as I chose an outfit in which I would attack the day. Then, following a brief update on New Zealand, a story began on the Lilo saga. Apparently she’s going back to jail for stealing a necklace and you’d think the story would end there and preferably on E! News. 

Lohan is either in jail, rehab or the club, not a huge surprise these days. But, for the Today Show, this is a breaking story that deserves our undivided attention. I listened as the report recounted every detail of her outfit, compared the ensemble t to her previous courtroom outfits, and then surveyed her jailhouse possibilities. Why? 

I don’t know and was immediately offended that this was the story that made the air. Out of 7 continents and 192 countries filled with possible stories from the previous day, we are discussing Lilo’s v-neck and pant option for her court appearance, which will likely result in jail.

It’s probably a matter of ratings. The American public wants to watch that, like a train wreck. Maybe it’s because the news is softer, fluffier and everyone is familiar with the main character (albeit tired of her). There’s little, if any, controversy and the opinions are linear. I don’t know, but I think it’s unfortunate.

Obviously I enjoy fluff and subscribe to a fair amount of fashion/celebrity magazines, but in the appropriate format and prefer fluff topics that are not yet exhausted. Grain of salt.

pay it forward

A stranger paid for my coffee this morning. Have you ever had a morning that just set a magical tone for the rest of the day? This was one of those mornings. Every moment aligned into a picture.  I woke up, fully rested before my alarm went off, and left early for work with George, who was all set for a day at Doggie Day Camp.

The employees at PetSmart all greeted George by name and he wagged his little body into the play area. I love him. Ok, no more George tangents.

As I take my exit for work, the split decision is made to pick up a misto and muffin at Starbucks.  Roughly 500 cars were in the drive-thru, but I had my satellite radio readily entertaining me so I joined the masses in line. Then, the most magical thing of all happened. I pull up to the window to pay for my goodies and the driver in front of me had already paid my bill! A stranger had picked up the tab, without even a honk.
“What?” I questioned as the barista explained the good deed once more.

I was stunned and pleasantly surprised by the kindness of a stranger. It’s as if Dallas were trying to prove me wrong, claiming, “See how great we are? You just need to be open to it.”

Then the Barista asked if I wanted to pay for the person behind me, and so I did. Pay it forward was happening in real time, and who knows how long the good deeds went on. I like to think it lasted all morning.

Recipe for a Perfect Night

Yoga on Netflix

+

Glass of Wine

+

Face Mask

(Amazing at home recipe: Mix 1 tbl sugar with 3 tbl honey and apply to face, 10-15 minutes, miracle!)

+ 

Salad (which justifies chocolate chip cookies for dessert)

+ new episode of Glee

=

Perfect, Relaxing Night

Tuesday Tunes, hollaback

~This week is a little more indie. 

Enjoy and if you have an addition, 

I'd love to hear it~

Rolling in the Deep- Adele 

 Beautiful, powerful, I love her.

Time to Pretend- MGMT

Take me back to college, please.

Gimme Shelter- Rolling Stones

Classic Rock always gives the day a little more edge.

E.T.- Katy Perry (feat. Kanye West)

Love this before it's overplayed on the radio.

Your Song- Elton John

Warm and Fuzzy.

We Used to Wait- Arcade Fire

They won a Grammy for a reason, and it's about time.

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien- Edith Piaf

Pretend you're French and belt it out with no regrets, ehem.

World At Large- Modest Mouse

They are so quirky and great.

I'm in Here- Sia

A bit haunting,but wonderful.

Forget You- Cee Lo Green

Anything that's good enough for Gwyneth is good enough for me. 

(Although the unedited version is a bit more empowering.)

15 step- Radiohead

Refresh your Radiohead love. Namaste

Good Morning, Monday.

I will tell you something about stories. They aren't just entertainment. They are all we have to fight off illness and death. You don't have anything if you don't have stories.
-Leslie Marmon Silko

drink wine day

 Today is...

National Drink Wine Day

My recommendation: 

Cupcake Red Velvet

I sampled it at a wine tasting for Valentine's day, it's delish.

Last night I had the strangest and most vivid dream. The people, conversations and situations were so real that I sat in bed thinking about everything that had just transpired for part of the night. Does it mean something? Dreams are never fully understood, but their mysterious messages always leave me contemplating the possibilities. The decisions are mine and the ideas are mine, but where did that combination come from? Either way, I love the rare occasions when I remember my dreams.

Happy Friday!

oh hey there dream world!

And this is what life is like in my dreams: Strolling the streets of New York City, newspaper in hand, with the perfect dress that both flatters and indulges my inner girly girl.

Reality:

Newspapers (in paper form) continue to dwindle.

Hats look terrible on me.

I live in Dallas and rarely stroll without George dragging me.

But I always find the perfect dress.

inspiration

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything,

But still I can do something;

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

       - Edward Everett Hale

Tuesday Tunes

This week is dragging on a bit. Here's some music to either jump-start your day or keep you going.

Fancy- Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz
Because we're fancy. (And I love Drake)
The Show Goes On- Lupe Fiasco
Perfect drive to work/school/errands beat. Just get it done.
Dancing With Myself-Glee Cast
This song puts a smile on my face instantly. Every time.
Revofev- Kid Cudi
"No need to stress."
Dirt off Your Shoulder- Jay-Z
Classic.
Rhiannon- Fleetwood Mac
Will you ever win?
Show Me Love- Robyn
Please take me back to 6th Grade.
Firework- Katy Perry
A song for the Happy Dance.
Silly Love Songs- Glee Cast
Bringing back memories of the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack.
Here Comes the Sun- The Beatles
Because every playlist needs a little Beatles.

product, product, product (valentine's day edition)

Happy Valentine's Day! Hopefully you've found something fabulous for tonight, like manicures and cocktails at the W Hotel or a night in with a special valentine. Jeff and I are cooking some fancy schmancy dinner at home which should be delicious.

Product, Product, Product will be my first weekly installment on this ol' blog and hopefully there will be more to come, organize the madness a bit. So without further ado...

The Good News:

Chanel 

Rogue Coco Lipstick in Rivoli

Simply put, this is a tube of statement.  After realizing no amount of bronzer was going to conceal my paleness without leaving a Jersey Shore impression, I turned to lipstick. The right color dresses up the whole face and this packs a punch.  While the price tag is a bit hefty, it's worth it. While I've always been a lipgloss girl, which is pretty basic and fool-proof, lipstick is a bit more technical. I quickly realized the quality difference in drugstore and department store lip color. This is moisturizing, doesn't smear all over my face and withstands a night on the town.

The Bad News:

Revlon 

Matte Lipstick in Strawberry Suede

As my initial lipstick adventure, this led me astray. Maybe I was too inexperienced for such a bright statement, but it was not user-friendly. The Strawberry Suede is no longer available on the website, and so perhaps the bright coral pink I encountered is being reconfigured. The color is fun, fabulous and girly, but the results were embarrassing. It did last for a good part of the day, but the color was easily transferred to the rest of my face. Many reviews have been written highly recommending this lipstick shade specifically, but I was disappointed.  

sweet valentines

This morning I received this sweet little notice from Kate Spade. The rest of my day has been spent sending each of my favorite people valentines (without hunting down stamps!).

Don't you just love Thursday?

age ain't nothin' but a number

Flipping through a fluff piece on celebrities turning 25 this year, I feel vaguely unaccomplished. In April, I will be 25. That’s hard to type. It seems so old and established. Meghan Fox is turning 25. Meanwhile, I look 12.

And while sometimes I wish there was a little more sophistication to my baby face, there’s more to it than that. There are so many things that I anticipated for 25 when planning out each breath of my life. But, here I am, holding on through a recession that is readily compared to history’s Great Depression. Who would have imagined that?

 Last night, I had dinner with a few dear friends. We are all in similar positions, wanting a more fulfilling career, but subjected to the economy’s harsh realities. We daydreamed about what type of business we would start before our thoughts faded as we slowly rendered the ideas useless. As I drove home, my dismal attitude struck me. This is it. There’s no use constantly shooting down daydreams. Daydreams are important, if only for the dream.

I realized how much there is to be thankful for and how important it is to not get bogged down with life’s obstacles, because that’s all this is: a little obstacle of life. Maybe 25 is that final hurdle, and once I reach it, all of these windows will begin to open up, big bay windows with window seats and bookshelves! There was a fire in the fireplace this morning as I got ready for work. And that was beautiful.

teach me how to snuggie

This past weekend some friends and I participated in a Snuggie Pub Crawl through Uptown Dallas. It was a bit ridiculous. Most people were trying to celebrate Super Bowl weekend, but we had bigger plans. The stares were priceless, but I promise there were a respectable number of us bar hopping snuggie-wearers. And please take note of my blue tie-dye snuggie! Who knew they were so fashionable? (They also have pockets now.)

product, product, product

One of my lifelong obsessions is products. I love them. The beauty aisles call to me. Even when I was younger my mom would have to tear me away from the makeup/skincare/haircare aisles every time she took me grocery shopping.

All this to say, I have acquired an embarrassing amount of personal knowledge when it comes to any type of beauty products. In attempts to justify my purchases and countless hours reading reviews, I will begin showcasing the biggest hits and the most disappointing misses.

Bad News:

Clinique 

Self Sun Face Tinted Lotion

My paleness is leaving me desperate for color, and while I would like to be tan, I would like for it to come without skin cancer. Enter a sunless tanner specifically designed for the face. Clinique maintains a solid reputation for quality. The brand has an extensive skincare line and I've always been completely satisfied with any Clinique foundation. So when shopping for a good, non-orange self-tanner to brighten up my ghost-face, this seemed like an obvious choice. The instant bronzer leaves a fool-proof, even application and the color is natural and glowy. But, the magic ends there. Every time I use this, my face breaks out. Every. time. My skin is not problem-skin, but this definitely irritates something in my pores. Use sparingly. We are in the dead of winter and desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

Good News:

M.D. Forte 

Facial Cleanser II

After over a month of consistent use, my (pale) skin is able to go out in public without foundation. When my dermatologist recommended it to me I was skeptical, mostly because it was available for purchase in his office. However, the results left me pleasantly surprised. The soap- and fragrance-free cleanser is extremely gentle, removes makeup, and, thanks to the glycolic acid, it has evened out my skin tone.

What are your favorite beauty products?

lost

"Adopt the pace of nature: 

her secret is patience."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes a conflict erupts and leaves me feeling lost. Lost in what it all means. Lost in where the fight leaves us. We didn't say terrible things, or utter a mention of any permanent consequences, but the feeling is hard to shake. It's a process of patience, and probably maturity, simultaneously. But those moments of patience, where I wait for things to make sense again, are confusing. What does it mean? What is right? Where is my guidebook to life? Then, as I think of what can be done, the answer comes to me. There is nothing I can say/do/think that would be right. It just takes patience. And the patience brings peace, and in the moment a hot bath and Vogue will do the same.




Because when real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking. -Sex and the City

Snowcation 2011

The past two days have brought quite an unexpected interruption to the regular schedule and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It was nice to wake up early and not have anywhere to be, to relax and let the day happen.  My daily routine has become increasingly mundane, which makes me uncomfortably restless. I always felt this way in college, when I thought that school was keeping me away from the “real world.” Surprise, the real world is rather boring.

But is it my fault for making it boring? So much of life seems to entail patience, which I’ve never been good at. There are little moments that make up a life and each opportunity has the possiblity to breed more opportunity. And maybe it’s about not losing hope in the possibilities, not giving up by accepting the routine. Maybe the search is what keeps life interesting. To keep searching is to keep living. 

"It will normally happen over time. And it's the getting there which has been the most fun. You've got to be patient and enjoy, as I said before, the process of getting there. Because I promise you, it's a lot more fun than being there." -Simon Cowell, on Master Class

My little moments of escape:

Enjoyed migas for breakfast, both mornings.

Drank french press coffee.

Read.

Listened to Enya and Iron and Wine.

Made Ina's Mexican Chicken Soup.

Baked Brownies (without eggs, because they were used in the migas), with chocolate icing.

Watched Master Class on OWN, which I thoroughly recommend.

Worked out.

Wrote a couple articles (worked from home).

Spent both days with my loves, Jeff and George.