Sunday, April 28, 2013

Make Me Up

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I wore makeup. Raise your hand if you remember blue eyeliner lol. Then I kind of grew bored with it and didn't wear any for years.

Over the last few years, I am noticing more and more lines and wrinkles and redness from rosacea.  I prefer powders vs. liquid makeup but I felt like it was messy and time consuming. I also have dry skin so wearing powders seem to accentuate the dryness. I decided to try Bare Minerals again. I used it before but it was expired. I went into their local store and they made up my face and showed me exactly how to apply it and what products would address my issues.

Well the day after I visited the store, I tried the new techniques and was actually told by one gal at work that I looked "radiant" and another said "how beautiful my face looked"  Who knew that a little makeup could brighten me up and make me feel less self-conscience about my eternally red face.



It isn't cheap but I feel good about the company, the product and the contents of their makeup

Next time I visit them I want to learn how to do a smoky eye!



From their website:

bareMinerals Makeup and bareMinerals Skincare were created to enhance your skin from the outside in.*For years, we’ve researched the power and potential of minerals to nourish, energize and renew—our 24-hour mineral care system is purposefully designed to continuously bring these benefits to you. Every mineral in our proprietary formulations is carefully selected to deliver proven results. bareMinerals Makeup utilizes naturally derived minerals to give you exceptional long-lasting coverage, breathable lightweight wear, rich pigmentation with creamy blendability, and broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection. ActiveSoil Complex, the exclusive ingredient in our bareMinerals Skincare line, incorporates a comprehensive blend of potent macro and micro minerals to increase cell turnover, improve luminosity and help your skin defend against environmental stressors. Best of all, we created all of our mineral formulas to work together in harmony to improve your complexion instantly and over time, day and night.

As the mineral experts, we believe makeup and skincare should not only make you look good, but they should also be good for your skin. That’s why we started the mineral makeup revolution with our award-winning Original SPF 15 Foundation, and it’s the reason minerals remain an essential part of every innovation that we develop for your skin. Experience the transformative power of bareMinerals.

* affecting surface layers of the skin



 


Color Me Surprised!

I wear a lot of silver jewelry. I love gold but don't have the budget for it. With silver comes tarnish. I have used the cloths that come with the jewelry and also a few different polishing solutions. They worked okay at best. I have my Tiffany jewelry cleaned by them but they send everything out to NY.

I decided to Goggle a local jeweler that I could use and found a forum where a gal named Kat had posted the following recipe:

  • Warm tap water
  • Rock salt/table salt/baking soda
  • Strips of aluminum foil

Put the above ingredients in a jar with a lid. Place items to be cleaned in the jar. I placed two necklaces that were pretty tarnished. Just shake the jar intermittently and watch the tarnish disappear. There is a chemical reaction between the foil and salt. For heavily tarnished items you will need to treat them longer. One item I did in the first test was pretty bad but was good to go in about 20 minutes.

Before
Small Jar


Small square of foil

Tear into small squares

Add salt (or baking soda)
Add hot tap water


After

I also tried it on a few more chains and pendants. I was a little concerned about the stones but they came out wonderful! I also had did a pair of earrings that I've had for over 10 plus years and they came out great too. I will show you pictures soon.

Until next time...



Friday, April 26, 2013

When Did I Become the Adult

Back in December, I alluded to the fact that there was a tragedy that happened. It really rocked me to my core. First, my best friends mother passed away from lung cancer on December 1st. Then, 3 weeks later, her husband died on Christmas Day. They did not discover he had passed until the 27th. We got there right as the coroner was leaving. It was a very disturbing discovery to say the least. That's how I came to foster the kittens. My friend has a senior cat that would not be able to tolerate the "kids" and they are only 3 months younger then Bogey. They have totally bonded with. Bogey :-)

Needless to say, it was earth shattering for D. Fortunately, we have a good group of friends that helped with the moving and closure of their residence. It was an eye opening experience for me and it also prepared me for what I will need to do when the time comes. There are so many details to attend to!

We put together a memorial for both of them last Sunday. I wrote the obit for D and got the word out for her. We went shopping and a lot of people brought food too. It turned out beautiful and I was so glad there was a big turn out. I got pretty emotional though and left in the afternoon. I did not want to upset D so I felt it was better to excuse myself.

I know that I am an adult and have dealt with adult things but it seems like all of a sudden we became the next generation. Being in charge of my moms affairs and then helping D has really made me feel stronger about how I'm handling my life and affairs.

My weight is still in a holding pattern. Still 255 which I have been for way too long. While I'm glad I'm maintaining, I really need to start focusing on weight loss again. I recently lost my Fitbit so I upgraded to the Fitbit One. I will do a full review soon but it has the same capabilities as the previous version but this one updates via Bluetooth to both my laptop and my phone! Up to the minute data helps makes make it easier to know how to manage the calorie bank.

I miss you all tons and wish I could blog regularly like before but I can't seem to get in a grove with it. I know I am better emotionally when I can come here and vent. Thanks for sticking in there with me.

Until next time...




Saturday, April 6, 2013

After Awhile

 
After a while
you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't always promises
and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong and you really do have worth and you learn and you learn
with every good-bye you learn.
 
 
Veronica A. Shoffstall
 
 
 
Goodbye Gail and Tom. We will always have our Memories.