Beauty Must-Haves May 29, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Beauty, Thoughts , 4commentsNext week, I will do a post on Facial Care 101.
Somewhere, in the nethermost corner of my brain, lies a plethora of beauty knowledge I’d be happy to dig out and share with you. It’s going to require some effort to put my thoughts in some kind of coherent order, which will be new for me: efforts–thoughts–order.
I do hope I don’t disappoint.
This week is quickly coming to a close and my sister, her hubby, and five of her kids are driving out for a visit this weekend.
I’m guessing I’ll be pretty busy.
I thought I’d share some beauty must-haves to kick off the weekend:
YOU NEED THIS BOOK:
“Getting Gorgeous” by the editors of InStyle magazine. LOVE IT. YOU MUST OWN IT. Any questions you have will be answered. Guaranteed. Worth it’s weight in gold.
I LOVE MAC make up.
LOVE IT.
This is the Studio Finish Concealer. Need to cover up those blue circles under your eyes? Have a big ZIT?
This concealer is the answer to your prayers.
I love this Purifying Cleansing Mask from Bath and Body Works. It may have been discontinued (Boo! Should have done my homework before posting this) but I’m sure it was replaced with an equally great product. (Let’s hope!)
Love my foot bath. Hannah does too.
This is a 5x or 10x magnifying mirror (not to sure on the details, sorry I can’t remember!) and it shows EVERYTHING. THE COLD, HARD, UGLY TRUTH. But, even if you do have to stare at wrinkles you never knew existed, it’s worth it. You’ll get an immaculate tweeze, see your teeth up close and personal while flossing, and extract every last blackhead on your nose.
Worth it I tell you.
Plus, when a gray nose hair is sticking out of your hubby’s nose, he can see it and PLUCK IT.
Even husbands can enjoy this one.
Want to double your lashes in length and width? You need to use a primer. I love the Primer from Estée Lauder.
Of course, great mascara needs to follow a great primer and I LOVE Estée Lauder’s Magnascopic mascara. It is the BEST.
MAC has the best makeup.
End of story.
It has the best pigment. It stays on all day.
The color above is called TRAX. It’s probably one of their most popular colors (along with Phloof!). This color looks great on EVERYONE. When we shot our bridal catalog, we had all the models wear this eyeshadow. It photographs amazingly well, (words verbatim from Marc Reynolds’ makeup artist) and I wear it everyday.
Okay, that was a lie. The everyday part anyway. I wear it every time I wear makeup.
That’s the truth.
Foot file. Really, do I need to explain?
Possibly my most prized material possession is an electric razor. I use the term “my” very loosely because the electric razor in the house actually belongs to David. (what’s his is mine, right?) The only reason I’m on time anywhere is because I can shave my legs in the car. I shave while I check my email, when I’m talking on the phone, while Hannah plays in the bath, and while Dallin rearranges my house. Anywhere. Anytime. This is the busy woman’s solution to smooth legs everyday. Plus you never get razor burns or cuts. Ever.
I love these cute little floss things. Hannah loves them too, which is the reason she actually flosses.
Okay, last but certainly not least, you MUST, MUST, MUST get one of these:
It’s the chamois wash cloth made by AVEDA. It will change your life forever. 
Okay, seriously, you need one. It’s antibacterial, (which means you won’t be introducing bacteria to your newly washed face) and unlike a terry wash cloth, it will protect your skin from microscopic scars.
THAT’S RIGHT. Terry cloth (regular wash cloths) can cause microscopic scars on your face when washing or drying your face too vigorously.
More about that sort of stuff when I post Facial Care 101.
Have a good weekend! Thanks for all the bloggie love!
Free in Kansas City May 28, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Family, Kansas, Princess Hannah , 5commentsThe Botanical Gardens in Kansas City are very close to my house.
It is FREE.
In case you haven’t heard, my husband is a medical student (who will graduate in 40 years) and FREE is totally within our budget.
We saw a Cardinal.
There were stepping stones . . .
and plenty of grass for Hannah to run around on.
Plenty of walking trails. PLENTY.
And Hannah’s hair was always in her face.
ALWAYS.
There were lots of places to count to ten while playing hide and seek.
And cool tunnels to hide in.
See you again! We’ll be back!
Black Eyed Girl May 27, 2009
Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Princess Hannah , 3commentsDuring breakfast, David asked Hannah what color her eyes were.
Her response?
They’re DARK BLACK.
Meet Hannah, our black eyed girl.
Can’t Crack This Kid May 26, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Little Man Dallin, Princess Hannah , 6commentsLook at my face.
This is exactly how I look MOST OF THE TIME.
MY FACE IS VERY EXPRESSIVE.
There is no question in my mind where Hannah picked up certain phrases like, “SERIOUSLY?” “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!” “NO WAY!” and “ARE YOU SERIOUS?”
Yep. No question about where she learned those phrases or learned how to raise her eyebrows.
Looking at this over-the-top expression made me wonder why Dallin doesn’t cry when I talk to him. Doesn’t a face this animated scare a baby?
But . . . this is how Dallin smiles MOST OF THE TIME. ESPECIALLY when he’s amused.
It takes more than an overly-animated-hyper-energetic-fast-talking-mom to crack this kid.
Knitting Bug May 25, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Kansas, Projects , 6commentsEveryone knits in Kansas.
Everyone.
Everywhere.
Anywhere.
Once, while David was driving, he called to tell me he saw a bumper sticker that said, “I’d rather be knitting.”
I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
I purchased some knitting looms, yarn, and went to town.
When the hats turned out so cute . . .
I made a few.
And by a few, I mean a lot.
Having a baby? Just had a baby? Thinking of having a baby?
You know what you’re getting from me.
This Explains A Lot May 23, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, My Former Dog Children , 2commentsParis has followed me around since the day we got her. She sits on the the rug in the bathroom when I shower. She watches me put my makeup on. She hovers when I’m cooking. She WHINES when I’m out of site. She positions her sleeping direction at me. Always sleeping with one eye open. Watching me. Always watching me.
If David is looking for Paris or me, he knows that when he finds one, he’ll find the other.
This doesn’t bother me. In fact, I love it. It’s no secret that I’m her favorite.
We found this description of a Whippet on a website:
Whippets usually form a close bond with one person in the home. This doesn’t mean that they don’t love everyone – they do – they just form a special attachment to one person. They will follow this person everywhere – the bathroom, the shower, the kitchen, etc. – and look lovingly at them all the while. Some find this behavior charming, others find it clingy and “needy.” If you don’t want a shadow and/or a bony 30 pound lap dog, a Whippet is not a good choice for you.
This pretty much sums up my life.
A Word About Cropping May 22, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Photography , 5commentsI would like to preface this post with this thought, “I really don’t know what I’m talking about.”
But, that has never stopped me from talking about something I know nothing about.
In fact, I think I’m pretty dang experienced with talking about things of which I have no knowledge. (I’m not sure if I should be proud of this or not . . .)
Some of you have emailed asking me to share more of my uneducated knowledge about photography.
So today I thought I’d talk about cropping.
We have a tendency to take pictures of everything we see; the whole wide-angle-panoramic-view of what our eyes see in real life.
Unfortunately the “amazing-ness” of what our eyes see is not always translated into the camera lens and getting a photo of everything (like the telephone pole that’s in the way, extra people, lots of foreground, you name it) takes away from what’s really happening.
This for example:
I was trying to photograph my neighbor’s very busy new puppy. He’s such a cute little runt dog, but it’s hard to focus on all the puppy cute-ness with the grey pole in the foreground.
So I cropped it out, and cropped the picture in around all the edges to bring the focus back to the puppy.
This is another example:
This is the S.O.O.C. (straight out of the camera) shot of one of my favorite pictures. These two little girls are very busy, and capturing them like this, completely candid, (they didn’t know I was taking pictures, these looks were given in my general direction as they were eating lunch. It lasted about .09 seconds.) was mere happenstance.
But I LOVED how this rare moment (the two of them looking in my direction) was captured.
I cropped out the string cheese wrapper, and extra background, and enhanced the color.
I liked this photo a lot more, but something still bothered me . . .
I thought the bright colored bowls distracted from the cute subjects.
So I changed the photo to a black and white.
Now, I LOVE this photo. The bowls are no longer a distraction, and the focus is back on their little faces.
There you have it.
Start cropping!
When My Past Haunts Me May 21, 2009
Posted by Emily in : My Previous Life , 4commentsIn my previous life, (the one before I was a mom and got paid to work all the time) I taught skincare and makeup classes at modeling conferences.
I was a skin care freak and makeup lover.
I never missed a day of caring for my skin or applying makeup. EVER.
I know those of you who met me after I moved to the Caribbean are scratchin’ your heads right now, trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth.
Well, I am.
A girl who attended one of the many modeling conferences I taught at sent me this message on facebook:
So this is kind of a random thing, but I remember your classes at the little Allyse’s boot camps of death, and I always felt super guilty because I always did everything you said NOT to do. But I thought of you this month, for 8 weeks I have officially been good to my face with the right kind of soap AND moisturizer. (I’ve never used moisturizer really) And thought to myself how proud you would be.
After I read this, I felt like I was reading a note sent to me in another lifetime. One where I was qualified to know about this sort of thing because I actually did this sort of thing.
In my response, I hope I didn’t turn her world upside down:
I am SO PROUD OF YOU! I was always so jealous of your beautiful skin that needed no upkeep! So on to my confessional . . . (Please don’t tell the real Emily you knew a few years ago . . . she would die if she knew this . . .) After moving to the Caribbean, I stopped putting makeup on.
Like right now? Makeup free. Will be all day, and won’t even think about it until Sunday. (the only day I get ready) Allyse (my old business partner) couldn’t believe it when she saw me, all natural and stuff. Still makes me laugh.
But, here’s the scary part, I got out of the habit of washing my face every night. Yep. You read that right. Me. GOING TO BED with NASTY ALL DAY FACE.
When you don’t wear makeup, it’s easy to forget to wash off the nothingness on your skin.
I’m a crock. What can I say?
I hope I haven’t turned your world upside down after reading this.
Things That Make Me Happy May 20, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Exercise, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband , 3commentsI may have mentioned my kissing-baby-cheeks-addiction one, two, three, four, five, or like a hundred times.
As I was smooching this little guy’s face off, trying not to inhale it, I had a thought.
Possibly a MILLION dollar thought.
Dallin’s soft cheeks tasted like smores.
Warm, chocolaty, marshmallowy smores.
Kissing his soft little fat cheeks gave me all the satisfaction of eating a cake with a trillion calories, minus all the calories.
See? A million dollar idea . . .
If I could just bottle up his smell, and sell it on Ebay, I’d make millions.
Women would thank me all over the world.
But since I’m not an engi-nerd, or science-nerd, or logistic-nerd, this is probably not going to happen.
Still, the thought is nice. Even if I’m the only woman who benefits from consuming less calories everyday by kissing my son. That makes me very happy.
Other things that made me happy this week:
- David started a three month surgery rotation. He wears scrubs everyday. That means my ironing/steaming skills will be taking the summer off
- I got my textbooks for the photography classes I’m taking in a few weeks
- I learned how to knit (See, even craft-retarded people can learn! I’ll be posting pics later!)
- The Botanical Gardens by my house are free (Pics later)
- Listening to Dallin hum
- Dating my husband sans children (thanks to our friend Kendrick)
- Going on family dates
- Watching Hannah write letters and recognize words right before my eyes
Dear Summer . . . May 19, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Friends, Kansas, Princess Hannah , 3commentsDear Summer,
Please be warm and sunny this season.
Hannah is missing island life and would really like to pick up her baby tan.
She promises to play nice, and she’ll even let her her best friend (who is twice her age) mother her around while absorbing your warm rays.
But you must come to STAY.
At least for the season.
