Makeup survey

Yeah, I’m bored.

Eyes:
What is your favorite mascara?
Buxom Lash Mascara — non-waterproof.
What is you favorite eye primer/base?
Urban Decay Primer Potion
What are your 5 favorite eyeshadows?
Stila “Kitten” is what I wear every day.  I have the Too Faced Romantic Eyes Palette and Stila In the Light.
What color eyeshadow looks best on you?
Neutral shimmer.
What color eyeshadow looks bad on you? 
I’m not sure?  I don’t really do smoky eyes.
Do you define your brows?
Hell no.  I’m Sicilian.  They don’t need definition.
What are your favorite liquid, gel, & pencil eyeliners?
I don’t wear liquid or gel.  My favorite liner is by Cover Girl.
Do you curl your lashes before applying mascara?
I always forget to curl my lashes.
What drugstore eyeshadows do you find the best?
Don’t know, don’t use them.
Do you wear false lashes?
Nope.

Lips:
What is the lip color you wear the most?
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Gold.
What lip color do you wear on special occasions?
See above.
What is your favorite lip balm?
Blistex.  I’m allergic to beeswax so I can’t use Chapstick or Burts Bees or anything like that.
What is your favorite lipstick?
L’Oreal Color Riche in Nourishing Nude.
What is your favorite lipgloss?
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Gold.
Do you prefer lipgloss to have a flavor or no?
No preference really.
Do you like matte finish or shimmer finish more?
Shimmer.
Do you wear lip liner?
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
What lip colors look best on you?
Nude, pink.

Face:
Do you wear blush/bronzer?
Yes to blush, no to bronzer.  It always makes me look muddy.
Do you wear face primer?
Only on special occasions.
Do you wear highlighter?
Yes
What is your favorite liquid foundation?
Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer in Fair.
What is your favorite concealer?
Right now I’m using NYX in Porcelain.
Do you wear powder to set your liquid foundation or concealer?
Yes, I use the Sephora Translucent Powder.
Are you warm-toned or cool toned?
Cool
Do you wash your face daily?
Twice daily.
Do you exfoliate when needed?
Rarely.
What is your favorite moisturizer?
Lancome Energie de Vie, only I’ve recently run out and I’m trying to be good and not drop the money on the full size.
Do you prefer shimmer finish or matte finish?
Shimmer.

Ones that aren’t categorized:

What is your favorite part on your makeup routine?
All of it.  I love putting on makeup.
What do you bring in your makeup travel bag?
Eyelid primer, concealer, foundation/bb cream, one eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, finishing powder, blush, highlighter.  And brushes.
Who is your biggest inspiration makeup wise?
Lisa Eldridge.
What are your favorite makeup brushes?
I have a really nice one from Sephora that I like.
What is your your favorite makeup brand overall?
Stila or Bobbi Brown.
What is your one product you can not live without?
Eyeliner.
What is your favorite makeup look?
Natural face, little bit of shimmer eyeshadow, black mascara and eyeliner, and neutral lips.
When did you start using makeup?
I started using eyeliner in college.  I started doing full face makeup when I was 29.
Your everyday makeup routine?
Wash, spot treatment, eye primer, concealer, eyeshadow, foundation, setting powder, eyeliner, blush, highlighter, mascara, and lip gloss.
What is your favorite makeup remover?
I use the Maybelline eye makeup remover.
How often do you wear makeup?
Every day.  The exception is when I’m staying at home to do research and I’m not going anywhere.

Little Victories, Week Four

For 2013, I’m going to have a Friday post every single week, for positive victories in my life.  They may not be big things, but they will be things that I am proud of, things I did in the past seven days.  I’m hoping this will keep me focused on the positive, all the good things that are going on in my life.

Week Four:

– Had my first meeting with my thesis instructor and got the all-clear to start research on my capstone paper.  First assignment is an 817-page history book that I affectionately refer to as The Behemoth.  I am on page 85.

– Went out for dinner with Samantha and Aly and dished about boys, marriage, and the future…certainly felt more optimistic and happier about being single again after that talk, and we made plans to meet up for drinks this upcoming week!

– Ran into Marissa from Sephora again, who (sadly) told me that she was laid off after the holiday season.  But we have each other’s email addresses and we’re friending each other on FB.  She’s going to try to work for MAC, or another cosmetics department, so I hope I’ll see her again soon at the mall.

– Found the L’Occitane Rose 4 Reines hand cream that I described in this entry, and realized after applying it that this is the personal scent I’ve been looking for for years, it just screams me and makes me feel so girly and pretty and at peace.  I’ve been scent-less since I gave up wearing the B&BW Black Currant Vanilla that I wore on my wedding day (my olfactory senses are very tied to my memories), so finding something new to wear that just makes me KNOW it’s me was a nice little perk to buying a hand cream for my chapped skin.

– Made it through the horrific cold this week with pipes (thankfully) still intact, due to the efforts of my father (my landlord) yesterday.  With any luck, the cold is going to break today and everything will be all right *fingers crossed*.

– Seriously — SERIOUSLY — contemplated signing up for a study-abroad course in June.  I need to go over my finances and see if I can swing it, but for now, it’s a beautiful, glittery dream that’s keeping me going.

Items put in my 2013 jar: 2.

TGIF!  Have a great weekend!

Fragile Days

Today I am feeling fragile.  This is not a completely alien emotion, but it certainly is an unwelcome one.  It’s one of those days where, as Crazy Bruce, my therapist, says, “the goal is just to make it to bedtime in one piece.”  That is how I feel.  No going above and beyond today, just get through the work day, and everything else will fall into place.

Some of that has to do with the emotions swirling in my head from my last entry.  And some of that has to do with just these feelings of convolution and being lost that I’ve been experiencing since Sunday evening.  Certainties aren’t so certain anymore.  I don’t know which way is up.

When I get in these sort of moods, I always go back to my default: simple knitting.

My friend Drea gave me two balls of Noro Silk Garden for Christmas this year, and I’m using it to make a simple hat.  I’ve never knit with Silk Garden before (just Silk Garden Sock, which, ironically, I made into a pair of socks for Drea this past year).  I’m knitting it in a simple 1×1 rib, that will eventually give way to stockinette when the brim is done.  It’s about all I feel capable of right now.

Tonight I have my great-aunt’s wake, and then I plan on going home and putting on pj’s, watching SVU, and knitting.

At least my makeup looks good today (I think so).  I sort of half-heartedly tried a semi-smokey eye.  Not perfect, but…I’m getting there.

More tomorrow, when I’m not feeling so fragile.

A Beautiful Encounter (and a Sephora Haul)

I had a very convoluted, difficult mental day yesterday, and decided to escape to the mall for some retail therapy after work.  Plus I had $75 in Sephora gift cards that I wanted to use, haha.  I figured I’d go to Sephora first, and then mosey my way around the rest of the mall.

I didn’t make it past Sephora.  Well, I did, but only back through Macy’s before leaving.  Because I ended up spending an hour and a half in Sephora.  And I made a new friend.

It took me about twenty minutes of wandering through Sephora, lost, before a girl approached me.  She had dark hair in a braid, and she had the most intense liquid eyeliner on her eyes, and black lipstick.  She said her name was Marissa, and did I want any help?

I confessed that I was just getting into makeup, and that I wasn’t sure what I was looking for.  She took me by the hand, gave me a crash course in each line (from Stila to Yves Saint Laurent to Smashbox to NARS) and explained what each line had, what “looks” they best promoted, and asked if I wanted a tutorial.  I did.  (I’ve always wanted one, but I’ve never had the money to actually do one.  Sephora doesn’t require you to actually spend money if they give you a makeup tutorial, but spending less than $50 on product after someone has given you a makeover is frowned upon in the establishment, or so I’ve heard from friends).

We spent an hour working on my face, and in that hour I got so much more than a makeup tutorial.  Marissa was only 19 (ten years younger than me, gah!) but she chatted with me like an old friend.  She was very sweet, we talked about each other’s lives, and when she was applying highlighter to my cheekbones, she noticed my facial lacerations from the car accident I was in back in 2005.

“These are awesome,” she said, “I love scars.  If I had yours I’d feel so beautiful.”

What a way to look at it.  I’ve always hated my scars, always hated people touching my face, always so self-conscious.  She didn’t make me feel self-conscious, she made me feel beautiful.

I left at the end of our session with $120 worth of makeup that I got for $45 (those gift cards really came in handy), a new friend (we emailed each other last night) and a sense of wonderful serenity.  It was the best thing that could have happened to me yesterday.

A lot of times people say to each other, “You’re beautiful, you don’t need makeup,” and this is a great thing to say to someone.  But I started wearing makeup back in September because I wanted to feel better, and when people told me that I looked beautiful, I felt beautiful, and I began to feel better.  Makeup doesn’t make a person beautiful.  But sometimes it can help you look your absolute best, even when you feel down.  And sometimes it brings two people together who ordinarily would never have met.

 

My haul:

Sephora Classic Angled Brush #40

Buxom Lash Waterproof Mascara

Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in “Baked Stardust”

Too Faced Romantic Eye Classic Beauty Shadow Collection

I also have a list of other products she used on my face to buy at a later date (a BB cream, liquid eyeliner, and YSL lipstick that was so gorgeous but so expensive).  And I left with a bunch of tips that make me feel more confident (i.e., my skin is a cool, rather than a warm, shade; I should wear nudes and berries for lipstick, not pinks or reds; highlighter is better for me than blusher; etc.)

It was a great day.  If you’re ever in Farmington, Connecticut, and go to the Sephora in the Westfarms Mall, ask for Marissa.  She is the best.

Another One Bites The Dust

One paper down, one to go!

(Granted, this one is bigger, and more important, but it’s already finished except for the revisions, which I NEED TO WORK ON)

I don’t have that much to write about, so we’ll do bullets.

– Adult cooking.  I discovered potato gnocchi and holy hell, my life will never be the same.  DELICIOUS.  I boiled them for 2 minutes, then tossed them in melted butter and roasted garlic, sprinkled them with Parmesan cheese, and had grilled chicken with Montreal seasonings on the side.  OH MA GA.  New favorite meal ever!  I seriously can’t get enough, and I’m going to gain like 10 lbs.

This is my REALLY PROFESSIONAL picture (i.e. taken with my Samsung Stratosphere) of my dinner from two nights ago.

Could seriously eat it any day of the week.

– School is so close to being done!  At some point I have to do the aforementioned edits, but I am getting so close!  There is a bottle of moscato in my fridge AS I TYPE THIS, waiting for December 18th and the end of the semester.

– Snow.  Look, white crap.  We’re scheduled for an unwelcome visit from you and I DAGF how many New Englanders sing “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”, as far as I am concerned YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE at least until December 23rd.  This Christmas is going to be difficult enough.  Snow before or on December 22nd means that my grandparents will more than likely cancel their flight and won’t be in on Christmas, and…yeah.  I just can’t do that.  Please.  This year has been sucktastic enough.  The promise of the entire family being here for Christmas was the thing that was keeping my Christmas spirit going.  Please please please please don’t come next weekend.  Please.

The 10 day forecast says that we only have a 10% chance of snow on the 22nd.  Please stay that way.  (I feel like I can’t stress this enough)

– Shopping.  I am ALMOST done!  A couple of friend presents and putting together the finishing touches on my last family presents, and then I’m set!  Pretty happy with what I put together this year.

I also got my package from Sephora yesterday!  Because of the Beauty Insider $15 off a $50 purchase, I was able to justify picking up Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector (I got a sample in my It Kit a month ago and after squeezing the last little bit out of it, realized that I can’t live without it) and the Sephora Collection Smoothing Translucent Setting Powder.

My only complaint about this is the packaging, not the product.  This is TINY.  You’d think I wouldn’t be such a moron about reading the amount in the packaging, but I am.  For almost $40, this should be a much bigger product.  The good thing is that a SAMPLE of it lasted me a month, so this should last me quite a bit longer.  It’s amazing the difference.  I don’t usually get massive dark circles but a lack of sleep (and let’s be honest, crying in the last few weeks) has wreaked havoc on my eyes, leaving them dark and puffy.  A tiny little dab of this stuff (applied with the ice-cold metal applicator) de-puffs and lightens my undereye circles.  It’s brilliant. (Rating: 8/10, mainly because of the package)

The powder was a gamble because I’ve been having issues matching face powders to my incredibly pale skin (increasing since my already-less-than-impressive “summer tan” has faded).  I decided to take a chance on the translucent powder because it was supposed to just matte-ify my face, not put color into it, and figured I’d compensate with blush.  Well, this is a winner!  It matte-ifies my face, seals my makeup, and doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing a mask.  Bonus: the container is BRILLIANT.  When you pop the lid open, it allows just a small amount of powder free into the top level for brushing.  If you need a little more, close the container, turn it upside down and then back up, and re-open, to replenish the powder.  Love it!  (Rating: 10/10!)

– Knitting.  I have two projects that DEFINITELY need to be finished, one for this weekend, and two for next Friday.  I have one more that I MIGHT do for actual Christmas, but we’ll see, since it’s not a big deal if it isn’t done, I have other gifts for the recipient.  We’ll see!  I’m going to Knit Night tonight and hopefully I’ll bang out the last few rows of the one I’m working on for Saturday!

And I think that’s all the news that’s fit to print.  We’ll see how the weekend pans out!

Makeup: Why I wear it and some pros and cons

I started this blog right around the time that two changes happened in my life: my husband and I decided to separate and I started really wearing makeup.  The two things are related, though probably not as one would think.

When I was 19 years old, my boyfriend cheated on me and dumped me.  I don’t know why I did this, but I sort of…punked myself out.  Yes.  It’s embarrassing, and no, there aren’t any surviving pictures.  I wore a lot of studded jewelry, lots of black, pierced my navel and my upper ear, etc.  For some reason, I though that if I looked tough outside, that would translate to how I felt inside.

And I think the sudden foray into wearing makeup is the same way.  Do I think I look okay without makeup?  Sure.  But I feel pretty when I wear it, and I don’t wear it for my husband (who hasn’t noticed) or for other people.  I wear it for me.  I wear it so that Ifeel pretty.  I look good, and I feel good.  And that’s worth quite a lot.

 

So I’ve been wearing makeup for a little over six weeks now, and I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve found some things I LOVE and don’t know how I ever used any other products — and some things that are just ‘meh’.  So that’s what I’m going to put on the docket today.

Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Loose Powder

I bought this as my first set of loose powder (I will admit that my major incentive came from not having to buy a separate brush).  I love the way that the powder makes my cheeks feel like velvet and clears up any shininess.  I don’t like the way that the powder flies every freakin’ wear in the box.  The rounded lid doesn’t help much, it just makes even more of a mess.  I think I will probably go for a flatter box with a flatter top next time.  Other than the packaging, I like the product.  Rating: 7/10

Maybelline Express One-By-One Waterproof Mascara

I wanted to love this product.  But it doesn’t separate the lashes like it advertises (also, that model?  Definitely has faux eyelashes on).  I didn’t see a marked difference from any other Maybelline mascara.  There’s also a very good chance that I’m bitter because I have terrible lashes (they’re very short and sparse).  I will use it until it’s gone, but I probably won’t be buying this product again.  The hunt for the perfect mascara continues.  I hear a lot of good things about Buxom, so that might be my next stop.  Rating: 4/10

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick

I am usually really wary of any really cheap products (buying into my dad’s old saying that cheap is usually not worth it.  This lipstick was about $5 at CVS, but I thought, why not.  I bought it in 08 (fetching name), and it’s more of a pinkish-mauve color.  I LOVE THIS.  It goes on smoothly, and gives my lips a nice matte finish.  It also tastes a tiny bit like cocoa (maybe that’s just me though).  My only complaint is that it does rub off very easily — which may only be a caveat for me, because I have insanely chapped lips, rub them together a lot, and also apply lip balm like it’s going out of style.  But I will definitely be picking up more shades of Kate’s lipstick.  Rating: 8/10

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers

After a bad experience with E.L.F. tinted moisturizer, I decided to give Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers a shot.  The color of the foundation was very close to my own skin (I am paler than I think I am), so I picked “Ivory to Fair”, the palest color, and it looks about right.  I use an E.L.F. foundation brush to apply it, and that gives it a nice even tone (I can’t believe I ever used my fingers to apply foundation, never again).  It doesn’t make me break out, it doesn’t feel heavy, oily, or itchy, and it wears very well (doesn’t come off until I remove it at night).  It goes on slightly shiny, but a layer of pressed powder brings my skin down to a more matte tone.  Love it, and I have no plans to change to another foundation.  It’s cheaper online that it is at CVS, unfortunately, but I’m going to shop around and see if I can’t find any place cheaper.  Maybe Target.  Rating: 9/10

bareMinerals Eyecolor

WOW, WOW, WOW.  This is my favorite.  I was terrible with eyeshadow until I discovered a) brushes and b) loose eyeshadow powder.  I love this.  Love it.  And I’m pretty sure it’s idiot-proof.   No plans to ever change back to pressed powder eyeshadow again any time soon.  Seriously, biggest crush ever on this product.  My only sadness is that I can’t afford to get it in any other shades right now.  I currently own Waterlily (a pale violet shade, see left) and Queen Tiffany (“tawny platinum” according to the website, but I think it’s more like a copper).  I plan to get as many colors as possible, but at $14 a pop, they’re not cheap.  My plan of action right now is to buy up the last chance selection on their own website.  Rating: 10/10

Korres Lip Butter

Other product that I have a serious crush on?  This one.  Holy crap.  I considered paying $25 to get the collection of three, but wasn’t sure if my super-sensitive lips would like them, and $25 seemed like an awful lot to spend on three products I wasn’t sure of.  So I bought one pot, in Quince (a pinkish rose, see right), and holy crap.  It’s like a lip balm and lipstick all in one.  Just a tiny bit gives my lips excellent color.  I also don’t need to use lip balm when I wear it, it’s incredibly moisturizing.  Going to get more shades of this as well.  I will be springing for the collection, which I planned in advance for (Quince isn’t a shade that’s part of the collection).  Rating: 10/10

Well, that’s pretty much a wrap.  Hope this was fun and in some way informative.  Weekend agenda includes papers, papers, and more papers, and the return of Patriots football!  Very excited about that.

Can you believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner?  I feel like the holidays snuck up on us too damn fast this year…

This or That (Makeup)

I was tagged by NannaSofiaMakeup, so what the hell.  Nothing else is happening today in the wake of Hurricane Sandy (more on that in another entry).

1. Blush or Bronzer?
Not a fan of bronzer at all.  I’ve used it a couple times (though not in years).  My skin is far too pale.  I even need to use a light blush, otherwise I look like a clown.

2. Lipgloss or Lipstick?
Gloss.  I have a lip balm addiction so lipstick usually makes my lips feel even more chapped and dry.  Gloss I can sort of mix with vaseline or lip balm and it makes my lips still feel moistened.

3. Chapstick or Lip butter?
I am allergic to “real” Chapstick and any sort of lip balm that contains beeswax.  So I’d have to go with lip butter.

4. Matte or Sparkle Eyeshadow?
Most of my shadows have sparkle, so I’ll say that.

5. Gel, Liquid, Cream or Pencil Liner?
Pencil because I am pretty much incompetent at the others.  But I love the way that liquid liner looks!

6. Foundation or Concealer?
Fortunately, except for the scars on my right cheekbone from a car accident (and subsequent plastic surgery) in 2005, I have really good (if dry) skin.  So I mainly stick to concealer and skip the foundation.

7. Liquid or Powder Foundation?
I use a liquid concealer and powder cover.

8. Neutral or Statement eye?
Neutral.  I am not competent enough yet to do any sort of “statement” look.

9. Pressed or Loose shadows?
Loose!  My favorite is Bare Minerals.  I love how they go on and STAY on.  I will never go back to pressed shadow again.

10. Waterproof or Non Waterproof?
My mascara and eyeliner are waterproof.

10. Brushes, Sponges or Fingers?
Brushes!  I don’t know how I even applied makeup without them.

11. Powder, Cream or Liquid Highlighters?
Powder.

Like NannaSofia, I tag everyone who stumbled across this.

My massive crush on Sephora and what I bought there

Confession: Although I’m just starting out on my odyssey of learning how to use makeup, I am completely head-over-heels obsessed with Sephora.  Having a little extra money this past week (and the desire to purchase some better products that I actually enjoy using, I headed over there.

This is what I walked out with:

(Clockwise from top left: Bare Minerals Eyecolor in Waterlily and Queen Tiffany, Sephora Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner in Classic Black, Sephora Classic All Over Shadow Brush Small, and Clinique Almost Lipstick/Long Last Glosswear in Black Honey.)

Bare Minerals Eyecolor — These tiny pots of loose powder eyeshadow are deceptively tiny, but seriously effective!  I tried Waterlily (a pale dusky violet shade) first, and then picked up Queen Tiffany (a tawny copper color).  These brush on very easily over primer, and stay on all day (until I take them off with eye makeup removal).  Each is $14.

Sephora Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner — I bought this on the suggestion of a friend.  The eyeliner is like an eye pencil, but goes on smoothly without running into the corners of my eyes.  It has a tiny smudge sponge on the end, which I haven’t used yet.  It’s $12, and comes in a variety of colors.  I already would like to purchase it in peacock and maybe violet!

Sephora Classic All Over Shadow Brush (Small) — The bristles on this brush are intensely soft!  I picked it up and I just couldn’t put it down again.  Seriously, I will never use one of those spongy little applicators that come free with eyeshadow ever again.  Each is $13.

Clinique Lip Duo — Half of the applicator is Clinique’s Almost Lipstick — which is a sheer lipstick designed to work with your natural lip color and enhance it.  Black Honey appears very dark black-red, but it goes on almost completely sheer.  The other side is Long Last Glosswear, an intensely thick, shiny lip gloss in the same shade.  Both give my lips a reddish tint.  The stick was $21, but I had a 20% off coupon.

No pictures of me wearing any of the above, I spent most of the last two days getting ready for the hurricane that’s planning on slamming New England this week.  Maybe in the future!

For myself

This weekend right now promises to be not a fantastic one.  My husband is gone for the weekend, so I’ll be home alone, trying to prepare for a storm that promises to be just as much of a suck-fest as last year was.  By-the-by, if my class isn’t canceled on Tuesday, I’m going to be livid.  The only good thing about a hurricane/snowstorm is canceled work or class.  Period.

I have a massive to-do list this weekend that involves the following:
– Washing the metric ton of dishes in the sink (before and if we run out of hot water due to the storm)
– Stock up on supplies (i.e. toilet paper, bread, food that doesn’t require heating up).
– Charge everything (Kindle, laptop, etc.)
– Get cracking on at least part of my rough draft of my paper (due November 6th)
– Laundry, laundry, and more laundry

The situation isn’t as dire as it sounds.  My parents live right next door to the town volunteer fire house, so they almost never lose power, and when they do, they are up and running usually within the day.  Last Halloween, when 99% of CT lost power for days, we ended up at my parents’ house for showers and hot food while our power was out.  NBD.

Plus I’ll be there on Sunday regardless to watch the football game and do all of that laundry.  Oh, and research.  More and more research.

But today and tomorrow I am going to take some time for me.  “Me time” (for this weekend) involves:

– Trip to Sephora!  I have  been wanting to go for so long.  I’m going to pick up some eyeliner and eyeshadow.  That’s IT (okay, maybe some lipstick).

– Getting my eyebrows done.  They need to be waxed in the worst way.  And after I get them waxed I am VOWING to keep them tweezed.  I don’t even care that I hate doing it, or that I’m no good at tweezing.  I WILL LEARN.  Gone are the days of my caterpillar eyebrows.  I am 29 years old, dammit.  I can do this.

– Buying the last pieces for my Rosie costume.  I just need a blue oxford and a pair of black flats.  Hell, I need the black flats just for ME (I have no flat shoes, today I’m struggling in my nude wedges).  I also have to make the Westinghouse pin she wears on her lapel.  NBD, again.

– Paper writing.  You knew it was coming.  But really?  It’s a good distraction from the other things that I have going on in my life.  The ones I don’t want to think about.

– Knitting.  I wound some beautiful yarn for another Citron shawl yesterday.  I finished one a few weeks ago (sort of — I botched the stupid ruffle at the bottom and I ran out of yarn), and it isn’t blocked yet.  I want to try it again with the laceweight yarn it actually requires (I used sock weight last time).  I have Dream in Color Wisp in the daylily shade.  Which is actually a lot more pale green and pale pink than it is on that website.  Hopefully 550 yards will be enough this time!

 

 
That’s pretty much it.  Hopefully, this weekend will go better than anticipated 🙂

Embracing

Somedays you just have to sit back and accept the inevitable.  And it doesn’t always have to be negative.

For example, today I am embracing

Skinny jeans tucked into faux-Uggs.  I have never really been on board with this trend (although I love my faux-Uggs something fierce).  But after realizing yesterday that I left my only pair of flats up in Massachusetts at my IL’s…and that my feet cannot stand another day in my knee-high fitted flat boots…I dug my faux-Uggs out of the closet and slipped them over my skinny jeans.

Words can’t describe.  It’s amazing.  Like wearing slippers to work.  This isn’t going to be an everyday thing, but damn, I’m enjoying it today.

A projected graduation date of December 2013.  I don’t even care that I originally planned to graduate in 2007 (life gets in the way, you know?).  I’m waiting right now for one of my teachers to approve my thesis topic…and hopefully take me on as her advisee.  If all goes as planned, I’ll start my independent study (research and prospectus) in Spring 2013, and write my thesis in Fall of 2013.  Hopefully done by either December 2013 or Spring 2014.  Praying for the former.

The benefits of eye makeup remover.  I bought Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover ($4, Target) yesterday, and holy crap that stuff WORKS.  Also, no more burning eyes while trying to remove my makeup with regular cleansing pads (did I mention that I’m an idiot?).

Christmas is coming.  I’ve been trying to avoid it, but working where I do (for a church), it’s impossible.  The Thanksgiving drive is in full swing.  The Christmas letters have been ordered.  And now every time I go to the store, I see Christmas stuff everywhere.  Plus Dunkin Donuts is already releasing a “peppermint mocha” blend of coffee and yes, I’m tempted to bring it into work.  I love the holidays.  I’ve been nervous about them coming up and how I would feel this year, but I feel a little better about them now, having spoken to my MIL.  Maybe I’ll be in the Christmas mood yet.