In My Makeup Bag

I wrote about my must have essential beauty products a few months ago, but since it's also today's Show Us How You Live topic, I thought I'd repost it and add a few more things to it.  First of all, I LOVE makeup and I'm on a constant quest to find the best anti-aging/prevent aging products.  Since I don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on these types of things, it makes it a little more difficult- but not impossible.

Okay, so my favorite must have essential items are: Fiberwig Mascara in black, Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Blunt (but Baked is a really good summer color), NARS blush in Orgasm, MAC Fluidline Eyeliner in Blacktrack (but you can't buy MAC at Sephora), and Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash cleanser and exfoliator. Those are my have to haves, or really want to haves! I don't usually wear foundation because my skin doesn't need it all that much, but when I do wear, my favorite is Smashbox's High Definition Foundation in Fair 01. I also really like MAC's Fix Powder, but I brush it on because it can look a little heavy (which is great for bad skin days).

Some of the other things you can find in my makeup bag are Russian Red MAC lipstick and DuWop Lip Vemon,

Who Likes Wednesdays?

My little Spencer isn't feeling well today and she is in a mood, let me tell you!  We spent last night with the PGPs and she cried every 30 minutes, all night long.  She wouldn't wake up exactly, she'd just start wailing until I could soothe her back to dreamland.  It was a LONG night.  Thank goodness we were at their house, because they let me sleep in a few extra hours this morning since I got practically no sleep last night. 

This morning she was acting fine, no fever, but her nose was super runny and she had a little cough.  The doctor said if she isn't any better by tomorrow to bring her in to see him.  She is napping right now, hopefully it give her body a good rest and she'll feel better when she wakes up.  I don't really have much of anything else to write about!  Oh, wait, yes I do.  Please pray for Spencer's Great-Poppy- the PGP's are going to the Middle of Nowhere, NC today because he's been having a few health issues.  One of them seems like it might be something pretty serious, so I know he could really use your prayers.  Okay, now I'm officially out of words.

Winter Wonderland Weekend

We had a huge snow storm here this weekend with over a foot of snow!  It started early Saturday morning and didn't stop until early Sunday morning.  We were snowed in with my bestie and her family, which was great for Spencer- she had such a great time playing with the other kiddos.  It was great for us because we got to have a lot of girl time! Yesterday we played in the snow and made 3/4 of a snowman.  The girls got tired of being out in the cold so we had to go in.  We thought about finishing him late last night but we were all too tired.  Richmond is still currently under a blanket of white, with all of local schools still closed through tomorrow.  And if you can even imagine this- it's supposed to snow again this weekend!  This kinda weather is just CRAZY, but it makes for some great pictures.  Here are a few more of Spencer over the weekend.

 

 

Standing Outside With My Mouth Open Wide

Project Runway

 

This week on Show Us How You Live we're sharing our best fashion tips.  I'm not so sure if mine are more rules than tips, but I think that's okay.  Back in the day, way in the day, my friends used to come over to house and shop in my closet.  My mom loves to shop and since she was the one buying my clothes, she usually bought what she liked for me.  This left me with a gigantic wardrobe, half of which I never, or rarely, wore more than once.  As I got older I tried to convey to her what my style was- sometimes this worked and sometimes I'd find a new a new kimono-esque dress hanging in my closet when I got home from school.  Of course most of my friends were jealous of me having a mom who loved to shop for me and I was grateful for all I'd been given- but (isn't there always a but) I didn't always act that way.  Basically what sums that all up is I just wanted her to "get" me and she wanted me to be happy with what she gave to me.  So all that unnecessary teen angst for those years, and me having tons of clothing options to pick from, gave me the opportunity to hone my Say Yes to the Dress and What Not to Wear abilities.  So here are a some of my tips/rules for fashion.

**  Don't buy trendy outfits.  Go with something classic that will still be in style a few years down the road and pair it with some trendy accessories.  I know that "trendy" items are generally cheaper, but they'll either be out of date in three months or they'll have come apart by then. Invest in some pieces that will last you a long time and will never go out of style. (Click on the pics to take you to their site).

**  Try and make sure that every outfit has a little bit of flair, something that makes it your own.  It can be something like a bold scarf, flowered hair clips, fun earrings, or a cool purse.  No matter how boring your outfit is, it can be spiced right on up with just one piece of flair.  (And you can get that kinda stuff pretty cheap, well, except maybe for the purse.) Since I wear a lot of black, I usually try and wear a colorful pair of earrings with a matching hair accessory.  (Click on pictures to take you to their site)

**  If you wear leggings, make sure you're wearing them with something that covers your lady parts.

**  Don't get sucked into trends when the classic version is available.  Right now blue, purple and pink Uggs are all the rage.  I know they're really cute, but chances are they're just a passing trend and really, how many outfits go with pink or blue boots?  If Uggs are your thing, buy a pair that's brown, gray or black- they'll still be in style next year and you'll be able to wear them with more outfits.  If buying the standard colors seem boring to you, than get a modified style like the the sweater button boot.

**  Don't wear horizontal stripes unless you're a size 6 or under.  It doesn't matter  how skinny you are, horizontal stripes will always make you look bigger than you are.  If you like stripes and you just can't part with them, then make sure the stripe is very thin- the thicker the stripe the thicker you look.

**  If you're a mother with babies or small children, the best things to wear are either solid dark colored shirts/dresses or ones that have a dark or bold print on them.  Tops that are light and solid colored show EVERYTHING.  And since we all know that the little ones know how to mess up our clean clothes the second we put them on, the best thing is to wear something that camouflages the dirt!  If you don't like to wear dark colors, a light color for the background of the shirt/dress will work as long as it has a dark and large print on it.

 (All of these shirts can be found at Shade Clothing, or just click on the pictures to take you to them)

** Don't be match matchy with the store's mannequin.  Buy pieces of the outfit and partner it with something else.

**  For those days when you're bloated or feeling a little bit heavier than usual, it's best to wear a skirt.  They are way more forgiving than pants and you won't feel frumpy.

**  No matter what, make sure that you're comfortable with what you're wearing.  It doesn't matter how great you actually look- if you don't like it and you don't feel good wearing those clothes, don't!  When you like what you're wearing, you'll wear it better.

And those are my main tips and rules regarding fashion advice.  I hope I get to learn some new things from the rest of ya'll.  If you want to see my favorite places to shop, click HERE.

 

N-0 Spells N0

"I said NO...okay?" 

That's what Spencer said to me tonight!  I about died.

I count even count how many times I've said "I said NO!"  And now she's saying it to me.  I feel so many different things about this, but mostly just guilt.  I'm always telling her "no" much more than I tell her "yes."  Something I'm doing needs to change, but the what and how of it all leaves me full of questions.  Any advice?