A Pretty Face Is A Clean Face

I hate cleaning my makeup brushes and probably go way too long without doing it. Once I do clean them, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. Well, I was just about to buy new brushes the last time mine needed a cleaning, when I decided to google ideas on cleaning makeup brushes. I was about to give up (as I had tried everything) when I came across something different. A girl recommended cleaning your brushes the same way painters clean their brushes. Painters know you can't just wash your brushes; you have to condition them too! The hair in the brushes will dry out just like real hair if you only use a soap based cleaner. That night I tried out this newly discovered technique and it made my brushes like new. Putting makeup on actually felt good the next day! This technique is so simple and only takes 2 items you probably already have in your kitchen. All you do is pour a few tablespoons (depending on how many brushes you're cleaning) of dish soap and a teaspoon or so of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) side by side onto to a plate. Then mix the 2 together using your brushes. You will instantly see all of the makeup and yuck coming out of your brushes. Next, paint your brush onto your hand or another absorbent (but not drying surface) to literally "paint" the makeup out. Finally, rinse and let air dry in your preferred method of drying (preferably bristles down so the water won't drain into the handle and ruin the glue that holds the hairs in). This is the best method I have found for cleaning my brushes and it really impressed me. If your brushes could use a cleaning and you don't want to spend the money on a brush cleaner, try this! It really works! A pretty face is a clean face! So keep the dirt, grime, and oil out of your brushes and off of your face.

Ooh Daddy Like

I have made some recent discoveries, over the last several months, that I want to share with anyone who reads my blog. I cannot express how much I love these items and recommend them to all my readers! Enjoy :)

Secret Wonderland from Bath and Body Works. I discovered this scent on Black Friday and bought the body wash, lotion, shimmering body spray, and perfume. A sweet, yet not over powering scent. Definitely good all winter long! And the bottles are so pretty and sparkly too!

 

Umberto Beverly Hills Dry Shampoo Spray. Want healthy hair? Do NOT wash your hair every day. A dry shampoo can be very helpful with this, but I find many of them don't last long and can be rather spendy. I also haven't found a  brand that "wows" me yet. Then while strolling amongst the aisles of Target one evening, I noticed a new hair care line. Okay, maybe not new (wasn't this brand around years ago?), but new to me. I saw a coupon to buy one product and get the dry shampoo free, and with all of the products priced around $8-$10, I couldn't go wrong. I love this dry shampoo! It works great and is only $8 AND I am still finding the buy 1 get 1 coupons! It does go on a little white and powdery at first, but I find it easily blends in and brushes out nicely with my hair type and color.

Okay, I feel so 90's loving this chip, but they are so good I cannot deny them. I love Pringles, but rarely buy them. That carton is so small and I definitely do not need to be scarfing down a whole carton of chips. No matter how ungreasy Pringles convinces me they are. Also, some of the Pringles flavors seem to taste alike.Well, me and the hubs love trying new food items and flavors (and I may be a bit of a sucker for advertising), so when we saw these chips we had to try them. I have a wimpy palate so these chips are just spicy enough for me, but still have a lot of flavor. The Cajun taste isn't overpowering and the flavor is different than any other Pringles flavor. So yummy and gone in a day at my house :)

I have a horrible confession to make. I dislike most fruit. I have a sweet tooth to some extent, but I am a salty girl. I would probably choose veggies and ranch dip over fruit and chocolate fondue. My hubby loves fruit. In all forms. Leather, snacks, cups, dried, raw... you name it. So, when we saw these at Costco... into the cart they went. Turns out, I LOVE them. I know it isn't the exact same thing as eating raw fruit, but hey, it's a start. They kind of remind me of the fruit puffs for babies my niece used to eat (and yes, I tried those and they were yummy too). I may have the palate of a toddler, but these are dang good!

I love my Dooney and Bourke wallet. Only problem is, once I take something out of it, it never goes back in. This leaves me constantly digging for the various cards I might need whenever we go out. This also puts me at risk of losing valuable cards and information, as they easily spill out of my purse. This drives Jeremiah nuts! Well, problem solved. Jeremiah bought me this bad daddy as a Christmas gift and it is amazing! I know it looks a little odd for a wallet, but it is so space saving and easy to use that I have actually been keeping all of my cards in it! You can change the labels on the front to match the various cards you have and even color code them. The ACM wallet come in various colors and sizes and holds  6-12 cards. Check them out: http://www.acmwallet.com/?gclid=CLPwqM7v0aYCFRNSgwodSjUWIA

Clothing discovery (thanks to http://uberchicforcheap.blogspot.com/): Checkout  http://shopruche.com/ Vintage inspired and oh so pretty! I haven't ordered yet myself, but can't wait!

Has anyone tried any of these things? Let me know what you thought! Now, I leave you with a link to a new fave song of mine. I'm sure you'll recognize it, but I prefer this version SO much more! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocL-o8GY02k

Photography and Me

If you are reading my blog, then you know very well that I have taken up a new hobby over the last year. Some of you have even been part of this new hobby. Whether it has been to help me test lighting, scout out locations, critique my editing abilities, or act as my models I am very grateful! Photography has not come easy to me. I don't have an eye that easily "sees" a good shot; nor do I understand the full capabilities of my camera, as of yet. As for Photoshop editing, that's a whole 'nother challenge I am desperately finding time to master. However, I think that's why I like this new hobby. Deep down, I like a challenge and believe that if I set my mind to it I can do anything!

The barriers to getting where I want to be in my photography include a grueling work schedule that conflicts with daylight, finding time to learn my camera and editing, and staying motivated. But I keep at it for some reason... maybe it's because I have countless dollars invested into a camera, new lens, tripod, editing software, etc., or maybe I feel this is finally my creative outlet. I have never been creative and cannot think up new or unique ideas on my own. I wish I could, but I have to be honest with myself. That's partially why I wanted a hobby. I wanted to practice being creative and put my skills to the test. I wanted to learn to be something I am not... creative. I am still in this process and will let you know how it goes.

If any of you know photography and have seen my work, you may have noticed just how bad I am and wonder why in the world I would compete in this field? EVERYONE in the TC thinks they are a photographer and can take good pictures and I am just another wannabe. To that I say, don't ask me to take your pictures, don't look at my work, and mind your own business. I don't intend to compete nor do I delude myself into thinking I am great. If you have the time to judge my work in those ways, maybe YOU need a hobby.


My husband told me, not long ago, that when I mentioned I wanted to get into photography he didn't have the heart to tell me just how many amateur photographers there are and what I may be up against. Funny thing is, I wasn't going into this to compete. I thought this would be the least creative hobby I could take up and would be the easiest thing for me to do. HA! Well, at least it's proving to be a challenge and I am seeing progress in my work.

While I may never be a sought after photographer or make real money at it, I like practicing and am open to wherever photography takes me.  So, maybe I will never compare to some of the photographers out there, but I realize everyone has to have their own reasons for doing what they do. I have mine. Hope you have yours :)

*Need some photos done? Let me know! I am no longer offering free photo sessions, due to the large volume of time it takes for me complete photo sessions and edit images, but I am very cheap and love to practice :)

Christmas Deals And Steals



A few of my after Christmas deals

 I wasn't planning on going shopping the day after Christmas. The sales are never that great and the crowds are not worth it. However, my sister had a Sephora giftcard to use and we really wanted to check out Hobby Lobby's after Christmas sale. Well, we get to the Lobby first and as soon as we're in the parking lot my sister remembers that it is closed on Sunday! Bummer... but I am very happy with the Lobby for allowing its employees a day off for rest. Anyhoo, we then made our way to Shopko and found 70% off of all Christmas decor! I got a couple of advent calenders and a pack of 24 LED tea lights with 24 replacement batteries. Then we spent hours in Sephora where I scored some TexasLash Mascara! Everything's bigger in Texas! How could it not be awesome?! I ended my shopping at Walgreen's of all places and found 50% off of everything. I got mugs for .35 cents, plates and bowls for .75 cents, bows for .49 cents, a Disney princess snow globe for my niece for .99 cents, and light up Christmas Mickey and Minnie Mouse cups for my angels for $1.25! Need stocking stuffers for next year? Head to Walgreen's STAT! It's like everything is free! Did anyone else find any good after Christmas sales?

The Story Of Our Tree

Our Christmas Tree 2010

Every year we scour the Tri-Cities for our perfect Christmas tree. In the end, we usually purchase it from Fred Meyer of all places! They always have the best prices and best looking trees. This year we skipped all the other tree stands and went right to Freddies. Only there was a small problem... many of the trees were still tied up, covered with snow, and frozen! Our early winter made it so that we could not tell what any of the trees looked like, even the ones that were untied since they were frozen stiff! We looked at the few that were untied and slightly defrosted, but in the words of Eddie Money, nothing said  "take me home tonight". That's when we decided to take a gamble! We would pick a tree that we had no idea what it looked like! We knew we needed to look for fullest tree we could find. We finally found a tall sturdy Noble Fir with branches begging to burst through the rope. We made our purchase and then took our tree home to wait for it to defrost. Lucky for us, the tree turned out to be beautiful. It did have it's "bad" side, which is facing the wall, and a slight gap towards the bottom branches, but I was nervous it would be worse! I am so glad we got our tree Thanksgiving weekend, even though they were all frozen, because about a week later almost all the trees were gone! While this will probably be the only time we do this, it turned out a-okay and made for a fun Christmas memory!

Oh Christmas Tree

So, I have been wanting to experiment with the Bokeh on my camera and finally found the perfect opportunity! My Christmas tree! I have seen how to create those cool little shapes out of lights before, and after brushing up with a how-to from http://www.kevinandamanda.com/ tonight, I hunted down some paper and scissors and got down to business. It's super easy, and although I wish I had those shaped hole punchers to create more shapes, I made do with folded paper hearts learned in grade school and some crazy shape my husband created. If you want to try this go get your DSLR out and read this http://su.pr/87inoR. Please note, the model is a Sock Monkey Santa Claus. Classy, I know... should've used the gingerbread man pillow ;-)

Hearts




Normal Bokeh on my camera.



Crazy shape created by the hubs.



Thank YOU!

It's thankful season again! I have been wanting to do a post about things I am thankful for, but didn't want to do the traditional list of things in my life and also wanted to avoid this year's post looking like last year's. That's when I decided to make it personal. This post is dedicated to all my friends, family, and acquaintances who support me and uplift me in ways you may never know! So, Thank You Holly and Dee Dee for your never ending support and standing out in the freezing cold temperatures to help me at photo sessions. You'll never know how much I appreciate this! You put me at ease and the clients too! Thank you to Brandy, the Fidino/ Del Toro clan, Jen, Kyle, and Landon Holway, Bethany, Skye and family, the O'Neal girls and their hubbies, Alla, the Hendlers, the Parks, and the Mehlings for letting me practice my photography skills on you! Thanks for your nice compliments, even when I know some of the pictures turned out poorly. It really encourages me to keep working at it! Thank you Damon Hagel for keeping my hubby occupied when I am busy and for helping do things in our yard and around the house. You will make a great husband as well someday ;) Oh, and for your advice on my spider bite. To my old co-workers at Lourdes, although we no longer work together, I think about you all daily. About all the hard, heart breaking at times and rewarding at others, work you do! You are an important part of our community and I don't think most people know just what you guys do! I have never had a job so difficult and meaningful as being a counselor at Lourdes. It definitely takes an amazing and special person to do it! God bless you all! To All the stay at home or mostly stay at home mommies, Thank You for showing me the joy in life of raising your children and choosing to make sacrifices. For showing me there is more meaning to life than an education and a job that serves only me and my greed.  You'll never know how inspiring it is to watch mommies give up careers and the "finer" things in life to be mommies. That lets me know it's all worth it :) And your babies will know this too! Thanks for dedicating your lives to raising happy, healthy, productive members of our world! Last but not least, to my family... I love you all and do not have the time or space here to thank you for your love and support! You guys mean the world to me! Oh, and to that one guy I live with, I couldn't be more blessed to have a hubby who runs out to buy me Halloween socks, cuts a hole in a table for my costume ideas, rubs my head all the time, does all the gross house chores I don't like, will run out to get whatever I need at night, and never says a word about my Starbucks habit! Thank you Jesus for all of these things I don't deserve!