My Intervention

Let me introduce to my pretty sister, S. She owns several make-up bags, has filled at least one standing jewelry chest, and can carry off sequined trucker caps because people are mesmerized by her eyelashes. Oh, and she's a guera. And lucky for me, she likes to stay with me when she's in town, dress me, and make me look nice. (I just typed nice, but pronounced it nyyyyce in my head)

So, meet S....

So, for my birthday this year my fabulous sister bought me Bare Minerals. Which I was worried about, since makeup application is really not my forte.

In true infomercial fashion I decided to take a poorly lit, sans makeup, non-smiling, unpleasant photo of myself. It then took me a month to get up the nerve to post in on the interwebs.

This is a picture of getting started, before the wreckage occurred. Lucky for me, it comes with a video that I watched while applying in my guest bathroom since the hubs was still asleep. Note: Bare Minerals comes off computer keyboards with a little spit on the finger.

Here is my after picture. I took it next to a window, from up above, and tried Tyra "happy eyes". You see, I am smiling with my eyes just like Tyra tells all the girls to do.

So, in true Clark howard style I will say that I have been wearing the make-up for a month and I like it. I am almost down to my other makeup speed of application. I still use other concealer for bad spots, but I like the softer, younger look it gives my skin. Also, it was free since it was a gift, and so therefore a great buy! Thanks, S!

Dedication

The hubs in the middle of writing his master's thesis. After subtle inquiry I have discovered that he has not dedicated it yet, or even decided if he is going to. 

Whaaat???

For some strange twist in logic the reasoning behind not putting a dedication in it is that it will be bound and go in the school library for all eternity. Which in my mind sounds like a perfect reason for a dedication, but who can understand these scholar types. 

So, in my own little inconspicuous way I have come up with a few dedications myself. 

Let's vote!

#1 - To my very own wifey who faithfully washed (and occasionally folded) all the boxers that I wore while writing this book.

#2 - To my wife whom I love and adore with all my heart and for a whole year did not touch my piles of papers in the office even when company was coming.

#3 - To the LOVE of my LIFE who often kept our loud, vocal, always hungry, jobless, mooches of cats away from my office door while I was writing. 

#4 - To my very own Julia Child of a wife who fed me bruschetta and many other culinary delights every week until this was finished. 

#5 - To my muse, Isabelle. 

All winners, if I do say. 

Huck's Unrealized Talent

It appears Huckleberry has an artistic side that the hubs and I have been failing to encourage. We are such rotten parents. All this time his budding talent has been forced to sleep away the hours his little artist's soul was crying for a paintbrush. 

As you can see above, complete apathy had set in as he grudgingly accepted his life with us. But in a lucky coincidence his mommy needed a birthday present for a 3-year-old with a brand new room. Luckily for his mommy, Huck was willing to help throughout the entire process. 

Huck and I's finished product! I bought these letters (which were dull & boring white) at Hobby Lobby. Lucky for me and my wallet, they were having a 50% Wall Sale! Man, I love me some Hobby Lobby!

I had a moment of panic once home and realized there was no way I could paint circles freehand, and even if I could my brushes are getting frayed and I would never be able to stay in the lines. So I tore the end off the ribbon spool and used it as my stencil. Huck approved of the move, and after painting we moved on to the ribbon. We cut the ribbon into 7 pieces, well I actually did the cutting since I have the thumbs, but I digress. Then we tied the bows in the middle, loosely measured the length from the letters using the scissor blade as a ruler, and then glue gunned the heck out of it. 

I think Huck has an affinity for paint since when we found him at the shelter he had a silver paint mark on his forehead to identify him. And just for kicks, and since I am his mommy, above is a picture of him as a little baby in the Kleenex box he liked to sleep in. He was so tiny, and now he is a puma. Sigh. 

Oh, and since we should probably mention the human child all this was for, sweet Jocelyn who  turned 3! She wore a polka-dot dress and was her usual adorable self. It is very weird to me that she used to sit quietly at the restaurant in a stroller and stack cups. Now she holds phone conversations with me and goes everywhere on her own two feet! 

What a wonderful year 3 will be for her and those of us that get to watch her! 

Satisfying Wednesday

This is what most of today looked like for the hubs and I. 

Although I had my own book. 

And there were cats infecting us with sleepiness all around.

It was a perfect way to get over the last weeks of paper writing and finals. 

And it rained. Perfection.

In a burst of energy we got dressed and sought food. In another miracle J wanted to see a movie I wanted to see...

It made us laugh out loud, because who had any idea that Julia Child was so nutty? 

Not I said the fly. 

Then, to top it all off, the hubs folded the clothes that have been threatening our very existence while he watched The Simpson's for the first time since digital television. Oh, AND he picked fabulous rugs for the guest bath at Target that I never would have looked twice at. More to come on THAT later...

Nostalgic Nest

The International School of Color and Design offers a quiz on your decorating style here. My results were Nostalgic Nest which apparently means I am sentimental, not driven by trends, down to earth, and make my own treasures. 

Spot on! Besides, I love an internet quiz that doesn't involve spelling errors and checking boxes. 

Sadly, after coercing the hubs to take the same quiz we discovered his tastes are quite a bit different. His style personality is Sleek New Earth which apparently he considers the technological side of our space. Whaaaaatevs! The plus side is that supposedly he loves the outdoors and loves to bring the into his space. That would complimentary to my results except for the fact that he hates the sun. Which gives me a whole new idea for a blog on the crazy things the hubs abhors. Tune in next week! 

'Tis a Puzzlement

So these are my newest acquisitions: 

They are old tin ceiling tiles. I got the largest at an antique store in Burnet, TX on my birthday and the other two I got off Ebay, because I could not wait to stumble upon them on my own. I also needed them RIGHT THEN so I could hang them all together. 

As it always goes, they are just leaning against the wall in the dining room a month past when I HAD TO HAVE THEM. Just like how I HAVE TO explain this with capital letters. 

So, here enters the dilemma. How to hang them? Below are some pics of the empty wall that NEEDED HELP RIGHT THEN. 

I am concerned about balancing the three shapes. I also need to figure out how to Superglue some sort of hanging contraption onto the back of them. 

Of course now I am looking at the pictures and thinking about how plain that wall looks, and should I paint it first? I probably should have whispered that so that hubs doesn't have a conniption. 

But I do think the tiles will look great with the sea shell centerpiece and white curtains. Which I intentionally brought up JUST SO I could show you the picture! I picked up the shells in May at Shell Beach in Florida. The beach had perfect shells there, but most had living creatures in them, and I was not down with committing a senseless murder just for a shell with no specific purpose.

Maybe I should clarify: Not down with senseless murder for specific decorating purposes or any other reason. 

There was also the question of the plane ride home, so I opted for the already busted pieces to take with me. Some broke even more on the way home, but that was fine given I found this fantastic woven plate charger on sale before I left, which made me a girl with a plan. 

I have never been one for shells or sea themes. However, I have enjoyed these shells immensely. Maybe because they are not perfect. Maybe because the entire centerpiece cost $5 including the doily runner I picked up at a garage sale. Maybe because it was the first vacation I have ever taken with the purpose of relaxing and not SEEING. 

So, the dining area. A work in progress. I'll keep you posted. 

Real World

Well, there is a model home sale on Thursday and I will be working. Sigh. 

Here is a picture of what Isabelle will be doing while I work and others shop. Huckleberry, naturally, will be asleep. 

Happy Hunting!

Happy Sleeping!