My two new favorite things to order from the Cheesecake Factory – Crab Bites and Mushroom Wraps. Both are from the Skinnylicious Menu. I’m craving this meal right now, as a matter o’ fact!
Cheesecake Factory Faves
Lips Get Love From Too Faced This Fall: Introducing the Too Faced Fall Collection for 2012
It’s much too early to be talking about fall, and yet here we are. Yes, the worlds of makeup and beauty abide by their own calendar, and here, to push it further ahead, is the fall collection from Too Faced for 2012.
No palette this time, but we did get some lipstick.
Lots and lots of lipstick.
Here are pics of the 26-piece release, available now online, and coming soon to Sephora stores.
La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cremas ($21 each and available in 16 shades)
The Perfect Lips Lip Liners ($17 each) and Perfect Eyes liners ($18 each)
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Notes From a Little Bird: I’ve Just Got to Put These Wings to the Test
Slowly…
Slowly…
I’m slowly beginning to feel like my old self again.
Can you believe that you and I have been meeting here for more than five years, chatting about makeup, reality TV mayhem (when we started, it was Flavor of Love!), men — from males of the feline persuasion (Tabs), to bat men (Christian Bale) and men with beautiful abs (Ryan Gosling) — Mango Bars, Nutella, cupcakes and, of course, cats. Both yours and mine.
I feel very close to you now after all these years, and I think you understand how people have good times and bad. Both swings are inevitable given enough time. Sometimes you’re up, and sometimes you’re down. It happens to the best of us.
Between turning 37, wondering if I’m ready to have kids, worrying about friends and family and the usual things that happen in life, and trying to figure out my next steps…I’ve felt burdened lately, like my metaphoric wings have been weighed down by boulders.
Then, last Thursday morning, as I was sitting here at my desk trying to write a review, something clicked — the switch that makes the tears start falling — and I realized that I just couldn’t do it.
So I took a few days off. And cried a lot. A ton, actually. Buckets on Thursday and Friday, maybe a quart or two on Saturday, but by Sunday, yesterday, the storm had finally passed (cue the herald angels singing!).
I didn’t experience any profound revelations or anything like that, but I spent some time just mulling things over, ruminating, cooking, cleaning, walking my cat, and I also got in some exercise, which usually improves my point of view, even when it’s the last thing on earth I want to do.
I even started crying a couple times on the treadmill…and now that I think about it, it must’ve looked pretty ridiculous, but no one was watching. 🙂 The mix of tears, snot and perspiration combined to create a powerful Potion of Catharsis.
Annie Lennox has also been keeping me company over these past few days. Have you ever heard her Diva CD/album?
Get it, get it, get it, ASAP.
It’s among my musical must-haves (especially the songs Little Bird and Primitive). My goodness, the lyrics — sometimes I forget how much music can influence the way I feel, and then I hear a song like Little Bird and remember that other people have felt everything I’m feeling now.
I’ve just got to put these wings to the test…
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 226
- You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”
Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.
- Mood:
Okay. Actually, not too bad at all. Slowly but surely, I’m starting to feel more like myself again. - What’s something you wish you could buy from a vending machine?
Um, sleep? Dude! How awesome would it be if you could buy sleep in cans?! Like if you could chug a few hours whenever you needed the extra rest.I also wouldn’t mind vending machines that dispensed piping hot French fries, assuming they were good fries (I like my fries skinny, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside), emergency shoes (for those times when you notice how funky your shoes are only after you’ve already reached your destination, and by then it’s too late to change) and soft, fluffy blue-eyed kittens with rhinestone collars.
- Is there someplace you go when you need some peace and quiet?
There are a few, like my bed, my parents’ kitchen, sometimes the library (I love how books smell), and if it’s sunny outside, then I like to take walks around Indian Valley here in Novato.Oh, and sometimes I’ll stop by a church outside of mass hours, when they’re usually very quiet. I find it very comforting and peaceful.
- Have you ever had a checked-in bag lost during a flight?
YES, and it was awful. I usually do my darnedest to avoid having to check in any bags (don’t like letting them out of my sight), but a couple years ago, on my way back from a brief trip to Italy, I must have tried to bring back one too many boxes of Italian chocolate, because the airline made me check the bag.Of course, it went missing somewhere between my connecting flight in Germany and home here in California.
Thank goodness the airline tracked it down and got it back to me the next day (and with all the precious chocolate intact, LOL!).
- Speaking of traveling, have you ever taken a trip with friends?
I have, and it can be a lot of fun, especially if they’re good friends. I’ve also taken a couple of trips with friends of a friend of a friend that ended up being a little…challenging, to say the least.Travel can bring out the best and worst in people, especially people who don’t know each other very well. It can be stressful being on the road with someone, people getting hungry at different times, wanting to see and do different things, being trapped in cramped spaces for long periods of time.
- How would you describe your laugh?
Ha! I have a few different versions, but I think my most interesting laugh is when I’m busting a gut, laughing hysterically, I do this silent thing with my mouth wide open, but where no sound comes out. 🙂 My eyes are often also closed, and tears may or may not be streaming down my cheeks. - I wish I were more _________.
I wish I were more forgiving both of myself and others. I think I hold on to things for a long time. Probably longer than I should. - When was the last time you wrote someone a letter by hand?
Wow, I can’t remember. I think it might’ve been 2001? Holy crap! - When was the last time you enjoyed the great outdoors?
About 20 hours ago, yesterday afternoon when I took Tabs for a walk around the neighborhood. - Weekly goals:
To try to run every day this week, because I think it really helps my mood, and to just keep on keepin’ on.I’m not going to try to bite off too much yet.
- To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.
1. Mood:
2. What’s something you wish you could buy from a vending machine?
3. Is there someplace you go when you need some peace and quiet?
4. Have you ever had a checked-in bag lost during a flight?
5. Speaking of traveling, have you ever taken a trip with friends?
6. How would you describe your laugh?
7. I wish I were more _________.
8. When was the last time you wrote someone a letter by hand?
9. When was the last time you enjoyed the great outdoors?
10. Weekly goals:
Hang in there this week, and I’ll try to do the same.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 197
What a beautiful night. It’s just after 9 here, but there’s still a little bit of light outside, and the horizon is painted a mix of pink, red, orange and purple. The oak trees outside my window are gently swaying in a soft breeze, and it all makes me feel very…small.
Sunsets like these remind me that there are other things in the world much bigger than us.
Hi, friend. How are you doing tonight? I hope all is well. I don’t exactly know what to say or how to thank you for the comments you’ve left on the blog over the past few days. I’ve cried a bunch of times re-reading them, but they’ve all been good tears.
I still feel a little shaky, but I feel better than I did last week.
Believe it or not, one of the most therapeutic things you can do when you’re not feeling your best is take your cat for a walk.
Wait — here me out! It’s not as weird as it sounds (okay, maybe it is). 🙂
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A Little Meow Time…
Hi, love. Someone out here needs a few days of meow time…
I’ve been feeling kinda blue lately and very overwhelmed, and I think I need a little time to reflect and “fill my well.”
It’s a combination of fatigue, partly due to insomnia, and getting older, and not being able to do all of the things I want to do, some of them life decisions, some related to blogging, some related to household things, like the fact that I still have an unfurnished dining room filled with cardboard boxes and cleaning supplies after having moved in more than three years ago.
The posts may be more picture driven for a little while — just until I can get my feet back under me. I hope that’s okay. It’s about all I can handle right now, but I can’t/don’t want to leave you in the beauty lurch.
I’m still here, though, still thinking about you and wishing you well.
Love you.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
New Hourglass Crush
The Prism Visonaire Eye Shadow Duo ($38)! You’ve gotta swatch it, ASAP.
Le Sigh
Tabs looking extra emo.