BareMinerals- LOVE IT!

I took the plunge. Jumped in with both feet...

My old makeup got swapped out for new MINERAL makeup. And oh, how I love thee!

In general, I'm a person that doesn't like too much stuff in or on my body (i.e., I only take medicine when I HAVE to). I suffered from terrible acne during my teens and early-mid twenties and finally got it cleared up with the help of modern medicine... not to mention the fact that I have sensitive skin anyway. As a result, I am extremely cautious about what I put on my skin, and I research products before I buy them. I was in the market for some new makeup, and I started my search for makeup for sensitive skin. I started seeing more and more information on mineral makeup, and I LOVE the fact that TRUE mineral makeup is not loaded up with crap.

CRAP...also known as chemicals and toxins... that's what is in most makeup, and the WORST part is that the crap can cause health problems. I could not justify continuing my use of regular makeup products.

I switched to BareMinerals by BareEscentuals. LOVE, love it!! I enjoy having a natural-looking face after applying makeup, so this brand is a good fit for me. I also love the amazingly huge variety of colors to play with!

AND THE BEST PART IS... I've had NO problems since I began wearing BareMinerals. My eyes used to itch and burn like crazy with my other eye makeup, even though it was supposedly for sensitive skin.

Mostly, I just feel good that I'm doing right by my body and protecting it from chemicals and toxins.

Go check out Bare Minerals here.

My Getaway, Part 1

Some of you may know that I am currently on a well-deserved getaway for a few days. This has been my first opportunity in months to bail out of town and do nothing but wonder what I should do for the day... sweet!

I'm currently blogging from a Panera Bread bakery location. There's a few reasons for this:

1. It's free (but I purchased an iced green tea).
2. I'm going through Internet withdrawal (the hotel charges too much to use their services).
3. I'm going through Facebook withdrawal (no explanation needed).
4. My first article was published online today (see prior post for more info)!
5. I don't trust myself enough to be out shopping alone! :-)
6. I used to work at a Panera Bread location in Las Vegas (memories).

Anyways, I thought I would share an entertaining story with you today... a potentially humiliating and humbling experience from my point of view...

So, my friend and I were walking down a street after lunch. I was wearing a pretty new summer dress, and it looked cute. It's a nice sunny day, and I was admiring the warmth of the sun and mild breeze blowing around us.

Then IT happened.

We walked by a breezeway, the wind swirled way too fast around us, and I felt my skirt go a little too high... I tried grabbing at it to pull it down, but to no avail. There was too much cloth and too much wind swirling to prevent the inevitable from happening...

My bottom was exposed to the world!

Well, to look at the sunny side of things (ha!), it wasn't the whole world that saw my rear. It was just the oncoming traffic. Not too bad, right? RIGHT??

At any rate, my friend proceeded to point and laugh (gotta love her), and I just kept on walking... with the skirt of my dress firmly gripped by my hands. There would be NO do-overs on that show!!

Does anyone else have any similarly embarassing tales??

I'm a Published Author

It's official! The Mermaids of the Lake e-zine is one year old today! I was so excited to be asked to write an article for their newest issue, and you can find it here. (Thanks, Mermaids, for a fun opportunity!) If you are hosting a bridal shower during the upcoming "wedding season," I hope you will find some inspiration with this "Beach Bliss" bridal shower theme, plus other easy DIY hostess tips! Also, you can find more entertaining tips on my other blog, Creative Entertaining.

If you go check it out now, you can sign up as a follower of that blog and have a chance to win the FIRST-EVER Creative Entertaining giveaway!! See details of the giveaway here in the original post.

"I Love" Box

I need to share with you an idea that I just LOVE. It's an "I Love" box!

Do you ever have those moments when you are simply enjoying something and think to yourself, "I love this"? Well, capture that moment on a little card that you tuck it away into your "I Love" box. Review your box from time to time and remind yourself of all those little things in life that bring you joy. I'm going to make one for myself!

Mermaid Shelley of Mermaids on the Lake wrote about the "I Love" box on the Mermaids blog. Visit the post here and be inspired!

Yummylicious

That's a new word I just made up. I was sitting at my desk taking my first bite of lunch, and that was my reaction... a swoon and "Yummylicious!" The fun part is that it was just leftovers (bean burrito with mozzerella cheese and verde sauce), but the combination of its simplicity, taste, and the peace and quiet of that moment knocked my socks off...

So that tells you how my week has been. How's yours going? T.G.I.A.F.? (Thank Goodness It's Almost Friday!)

Well, I've been pretty absent in the blogosphere lately. That's pretty much due to the fact of: a) computer problems, b) back-to-back-to-back-to-back events at work, and c) no time to sit still. That will be over shortly (two days), and then I get to take TWO days off from work. TWO! I'm bailing out of town, getting out of dodge, escaping, disappearing... T.G.F.V.T. (Thank Goodness For Vacation Time!). I'll let you know about it when I get back.

So, what's been going on at work to take up so much of my life (so it feels)? Well, to put it simply, in the span of two months, multiple fundraising events will have taken place- the last one this coming Saturday- that will collectively have raised just about $250,000 for the organization I work for. A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS! That's a lot of work! :-) But I love it, so I don't really complain too much about it. Besides the fact that I love my job, the kiddos I work for deserve the opportunities this money will give them, so that's just the bottom line of why we're doing what we do.

I promise to be more active in the future, so thanks for your patience!

Oh, joy!

I don't really have much to say, except that I'm so stinkin' excited to have seen the sun!! The last couple of days we've had sun up here.... and it STAYED all day and I didn't need a coat!

AND, get this, I actually used my air conditioning in my car yesterday.... EEEK!!

If that's not enough to get a girl excited about Spring, I don't know what will.

Well, maybe a couple of pairs of new shoes and a couple of new purses... and a few new pretty dresses.... all of which I now have! ;-)

Happy Spring and Happy Easter, everyone!!

Giveaway- Quick!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that there's a very cool giveaway going on over at Embellish Essentials. You can enter between now and Saturday, April 11th @ 11:59 p.m. PST. The prize is for a scrapbook prize pack worth over $50! If you're a scrappin' queen, you know that's a lot of fun waiting to happen!!

I just so happen to know those girls running things over at Embellish Essentials, so tell them I sent ya! {wink} They are a start-up business, so keep your eye out for them if you're into paper scrapbooking.