5 things...

I'm looking forward to:

1. Dancing to sad party music (yeah you read that right) tomorrow night.  Montpelier band Champagne Dynasty plays their record release party.  So fun.

2. Chinese food, jammies, and watching brady/tebow on Saturday night.  I'm less psyched for the football part but I'm thinking of sewing heart elbow patches on all my sweaters during the game.  I love hearts.

3. The new season of this show: Face Off on the syfy network.  Incredible stuff.

4. We got a pretty healthy dumping of snow here in VT and I'm very much looking forward to my twilight walk home tonight.  My ipod is loaded with new episodes of my favorite podcasts: How did this get made? Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Mike & Tom Eat Snacks: Magnolia Cupcakes and Chex Mix, and This American Life: Nemeses.

cast member of: how did this get made

5. Qulling.  Zach got me quilling papers for christmas and i'm so excited to home-make thank you notes with silly quilled animals.

(images via goodleimages and abeautifulmess)

Why 2012 is awesome so far.

1. I just got promoted. I am now a full time associate and Makeup artist for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics at Macy's Town Center.

2. This:

3. Gus Gus is making a fast recovery! We were very worried, and he was at the emergency vet for 2 days in critical condition, but after a week of rest and relaxation ( as opposed to hard kitty labor...?) he is feeling much better.

So grateful for a great start to the new year... 

Truth is, all you have to do is decide what you want, and go for it.

1.11.12

today is my birthday!  it's sort of a big one that i thought would bring some bummed out feelings but i woke up today feeling super awesome and excited.  tonight zach and i are headed out for margaritas and guacamole per my request.  it's been a ridiculously blessed year full of change, love, family and friends.  it has been the best year yet and i am nothing but excited for the year to come.

(image via weheartit)

My top 5 beauty must haves from 2011.

Better late than never...


These were my absolute favorite products from 2011, in no particular order!

Benefit's Erase Paste

I was forced to become well acquainted with under eye concealer this year, as I started to notice under eye darkness in the morning. This is my absolute favorite, and best seller at work, because of the creamy ( almost moisturizing) consistency of it, and absolutely superb coverage of eye darkness, due to the pink tone.

(not me, obviously lol)

Benefit's They're Real Mascara

( not my eye again, obviously, but wow!!)

At $22, it is the most I would ever pay for mascara, but I think it's totally worth it. Having tried dozens of brands of mascara, this one is a real winner. 

The secret is in the brush...

 The bristles are a short, flexible rubber that allow you to get close enough to get the formula from the root to end.

Clarisonic Mia Facial Cleansing System

At $119, it isn't a small purchase, but worth every penny as an investment in the health of your skin. I have been consistently using mine for just over a year now, and I can say in all honesty, it completely changed my skin.

These are (bad) pictures of my skin with no makeup on in December of 2010. Sorry the quality is so bad, as I was taking pics of my dog, and happened to get my face in the pic. It was very red, irritated acne from the top of my cheek bone, all the way down to my neck. I wore an expensive, Japanese full coverage foundation ( Koh Gen Do) every single day. 

Here is my skin as of last week. I have tinted moisturizer on ( which has pretty much no coverage), and no concealer or powder. Just a little blush and eye makeup. So much better. Of course I'll still get the occasional hormonal breakout, but no more chronic problems. 

 Bobbi Brown Lathering Tube Soap and Hydrating Face Cream

I love Bobbi Brown. In 2011, I bought new skin care, and invested in these 2 items first. The Tube Soap( $26) is super sudsy, lathers like a dream, and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean. I use it everyday with my Clarisonic. My favorite face cream of 2011 is the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream( $50). I use it day and night, after I wash my face, and as a makeup prep. It leaves my skin feelings dewy and soft.

Philips Sonicare Toothbrush

I'll be honest, I haven't been to a dentist in a while ( I'm going this year, Promise!), and I felt like my teeth were looking dull, and never felt REALLY clean anymore. I got a Sonicare toothbrush for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. It uses vibration ( just like the Clarisonic!) to clean, and has a timer/program to make sure you brush for a full 2 minutes. They feel super clean and healthy after I use it, and I feel like my teeth are already looking whiter! Never underestimate how much a nice smile contributes to your beauty!

BONUS!!!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I ordered it in the second shipment, and it is currently sold out until February, but it is my favorite palette thus far... yes... even better than the original Naked Palette!

With more matte colors, including a base, and a black for lining, I am in love. My favorite colors? YDK, Bootycall, and Snake bite!

On Atheism.

Warning: This is a VERY opinionated post, and if you don't want to hear a rant, please go somewhere else on the internet besides my personal blog : )






Today, at Atlanta Bread Company.....

Cahsier: Hi. Can I get your name for your order?

Me: Yep! It's Christian.

Cashier: Do you know What your name means?

Me: Uhhh... yeah.

Cahsier: It means follower of Christ.

Me: Umm, Can I just get the Chicken salad sandwhich and a small drink?

Cashier: Ok. Are you a follower of Christ?

Me: Ummmm....Nope! ( with a big smile on my face)

Cashier: .... awkward stare.....

Me: But to each his own, right?

Cashier: I guess... but your name means you should be.

Me: ...walks away...

Now this is not an abnormal conversation to have, especially here in Atlanta. I'm pretty used to it by now. But something about today made me really want to lay it into him, and say something like..

" You do know that asking about religion or anything like that is VERY unprofessional, not to mention rude? It is extremely rude. Especially assuming that my name means I SHOULD be something. Your name is manuel, but I don't ASSUME you should be cleaning toilets instead of being a cashier, right? No. because it's rude. I'm an Atheist, and I hope you have a fantastic day, Manuel."

But did I say this? No.

Which brings me to my forgotten resolution for 2012:

I am going to start standing up for myself. Not be an asshole,  Just not let people be rude to me or take advantage of my kindness anymore. As confident as I seem, I am still extremely shy in public situations, an avoid conflict like it was a herpes covered toilet seat. I'm tired of trying to please everyone, and I am going to start looking out for MY well being from now on.



Also, I don't know much about Tim Tebow, but what I do know is that he thinks some omnipotent god is winning football games for him, and it's pissing me off. If there is a god, why the FUCK do you think he would help you win FOOTBALL GAMES, instead of maybe blessing some African kids with a cure for aids, famine, and drought? And if there is a god, and that is how he sets his priorities, I would gladly spend the afterlife in hell. At least the devil of totally open with his asshole-ness. But I'm pretty sure I'm just going to fall asleep forever, and become food for plants underground.... and I'm okay with that. Reality, as we know of it currently, is enough for me.



I would say a good 80% of my friends and acquaintances are religious in some way, and it doesn't bother me at all. I love all my friends and family, regardless of religious beliefs, but I can no longer allow people to be rude to me and get away with it.

For more information on the wonders of the natural order of our Earth and Universe, and the science behind it, I recommend reading:

The God Delusion By: Richard Dawkins

The Greatest Show on Earth By: Richard Dawkins

And any science book at your local bookstore or library!

Never stop learning!

movies make our world go round.

I’m lucky to be dating someone who loves going to the movies as much as I do.  He maybe loves it more than me even.  We probably average a movie date a week! And I’m absolutely obsessed with the fact that we have a movie theatre that shows mainstream movies and an indie movie theatre – both within a 5 minute walking radius of our house. We’ve seen a ton over the past month so I thought I’d share a bit of my likes and dislikes:

MI4: Ghost Protocol  - fantastic. Cheesy, action fun.  We saw this with zach’s family in Scottsdale; it was my first MI movie and I loved it!  Totally sold me on the series and gave me a whole new view of tom cruise.  Hey, he may be slightly insane but he makes great movies.  And he is quite handsome.  RECOMMEND.

Martha Marcy May Marlene – creepy movie about cults, starring the youngest Olsen sister: Elizabeth.  She is amazing and beautiful.  The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks to her time in the cult and opens with her escape from it.  She goes to stay with her estranged sister and suffers what we assume are disturbing memories… but you’re left wondering what’s real. John Hawkes as the cult leader will make your skin crawl.  Beware of some disturbing scenes.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Muppets – nostalgic, silly fun.  Most of the songs are awesome but a couple faltered.  Muppet or a Man is the standout song.  Keep your eye peeled for some fabulous star cameos. RECOMMEND

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – hmm.  I did not read the books; never had a desire.  People say “as long as you can make it through the first 150 pages, you’ll love it.” Umm, that’s A LOT of pages to stick it out through.  Anyways, like I said I didn’t have much knowledge of the story going in.  Had I known the series focused on crimes against women, I would have absolutely not gone.  About 30 minutes in there is the absolute most vile, graphic, disturbing scene I have ever witnessed.  I couldn’t get it out of my head for the remainder of the film (or the week).  DO NOT RECOMMEND

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Cold War era British spy film.  I loved this movie.  If you like Gary Oldman, even a little, you will love this.  I love him and he killed it.  In all truth, I was confused at times but after debriefing with Zach over beers, I had a good hold on the film and he just helped fill in the details.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

The Descendants – Directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney, I saw this film with Zach and my mom.  As we sat in the balcony of an old theatre, I wondered what they were thinking as the movie was unraveling.  I swore 7 hours passed but when the credits rolled it had only been 2.  I hated this movie.  I found it unbearably slow, horribly boring.  Both Zach and Jude loved it and every review and article I read says it’s a lock for an Oscar nomination and probable win.  Blech.  DO NOT RECOMMEND. 

Fashion Bazer 2012