eyebrow makeover

When I stumbled upon this video (love Kandee!) I knew that if I could go upstairs and find my baby manicure scissors I would be trying this within the next 5 minutes. I have been fine with the shape of my eyebrows but have never felt that they hold their shape as the hairs are long and scraggly and as soon as I walk out of the bathroom they're all over the place. Remember this post?!

Look how fluffy these things are, like little caterpillars perched on my forehead. Ok, not that bad but you can imagine if they were...

Well I went upstairs and found the little scissors (right where they should be, love that!), my Tweezerman and my brow brush and got to work. I figured if it turned out disastrous it's just hair, it'll grow back, right?! It's 10:30 on a Friday night, Neil's out of town - why wouldn't I be in the bathroom cutting my eyebrow hairs with Rigby's nail trimmers?

Within a few snips I could tell I was on to something. Immediately my brows started to take shape and looked neater and trimmer.

Before                                                                                          After

Here they are the next day, all neat and tidy.

I'm going to skip the tutorial because Kandee's video is perfect. This is not revolutionary and maybe after reading this you're going Michelle, I do this weekly! Well it had never occurred to me to actually trim the hair and I can't believe what a difference it's made. Thanks Kandee!! I still want to find one of those razory things she uses to trim above the eyebrow. Side note: It totally reminded me of the time my BFF and I were in China getting our glamor photos done and the gal doing our makeup completely shaved her eyebrows off and then penciled them back in. (Shar, remember that?!! Hahahaa!!)

Soooo if you have long luscious (eyebrow) locks like I do did, I suggest you give this a try!

If you do try this please do me a favor and come back and comment and let me know what you think, don't be shy! I want to hear how much you love your eyebrow makeover!  
(Seriously, I sound so lame.)

the weekend

Well I have been at home for three days with no husband, no vehicle and a teething baby. It's been awesome. Actually it's not been that bad at all. But today, day three, we were kinda getting a little low on ideas of things to do. It's far too cold to go outside (seriously Winter, take a hike already!) but I know my boys would like to play in the snow SO I brought the snow inside. I went outside with a box, filled it full of snow and dumped it on a sheet in the middle of our living room.

We played for 2 hours! We built roads, tunnels and caves, made avalanches and had Iron Man save us on more than one occasion.

 Good enough to eat!

I think someone got brain-freeze.

In other exciting news, I came across a new way to shape and trim your eyebrows and I'm telling you, it's changed my life. Ok maybe not quite but I'm loving it! I'll post about it next week, enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

think pink

So kinda funny how the first FOTD I did I was all like ahh this is scary and just a few posts later I'm all "ppfff whatevs, I'll throw some pics of my mug up on the internet, no biggie!" I mean, I do walk around with this face all day every day, it's not a surprise to anyone. Anyway.

So - let's talk. For a while now I've been thinking I need to broaden my lipstick horizons. I'm a nude lip lover and I'm totally comfortable in red-lip-land so I decided I'd branch out to something a little different - PINK.

I've had

• a matte pink lipstick

on my wish list for quite some time now and I finally got to cross it off with the purchases of MAC Snob and Lovelorn. I was looking for something not necessarily matte in formula, just not shimmery or frosty. Snob and Lovelorn both fit the bill.

In these photos I am wearing Snob which is a cool, pastel pink - Barbie pink I like to call it. Because I didn't want to actually look like Miss Mattel herself, I stayed away from any color on the eyes and paired the pink lip with a very soft, subtle eye - just a wash of light frosty color over the whole lid, followed up with heavy mascara.

I like the look, it's definitely something different but I don't feel that it is bold or unwearable. Snob's formula is a little drying (if you enlarge the photos you can see it slightly settling into the lines on my lips ..... (now why would I point that out?!?!) so I wouldn't be opposed to layering a gloss over it although it's nothing I can't handle on it's own. I'm digging the pink and find it a nice alternative to the frosty gloss or nude lip I usually wear.

Have you branched out and tried anything new lately?!

7 things about me

Tiffany over at Will Work for Makeup did a cute post on 7 things about her and then issued an invitation for her readers to do the same. Because I like it when my readers follow through on my invitations (where are your FOTDs???) I decided to show her some love and do a post on 7 things about me!

In no particular order here are 7 super random things about me!

I am a crazy pants Beatles fan. I grew up listening to their music like it was religion in my house. I'm one of those weirdos that knows their birthdays, their sibling's names and all the useless information only a true fanatic would store away and hold dear. I've got all the albums, all the movies, all the footage and interviews and I've got them all pretty much memorized. I. Love. The Beatles.

I really enjoy blogging yet I feel like it teeters on the line between creative outlet and slight narcissism. I only feel that way about my blog though. When I see other gals post about their beautiful handicrafts, their cute outfits or their makeup I think it's fun that they are sharing but when I post about it I feel pretentious to think that someone is going to care! I brush that feeling aside and continue to blog, it is fun and why am I any different than those other gals?

I am a universal donor which means I have type O negative blood (yay me!) yet I have never donated blood before. I would love to but you have to weigh a minimum of 110 lbs and I don't, unless I'm pregnant and then I'm already donating my blood.... and organs... and energy.... and my entire being. So I'm keeping my perfect blood for myself and although I would love to share, I can't. It's mine.

 

I would relax in a bath every night if I didn't have a house and family to tend to. As I mentioned I'm a bit of a pipsqueak and when I get cold I get cold and can't warm up unless I take a hot bath. I love a hot bath!

I'm kind of a milk snob. I think there are some brands of milk that are far superior than others and I go out of my way to drink them. It is not uncommon for me to do all my grocery shopping at one store and then drive to another store just to get the milk I like. My milk of choice is Dairyland and although I will drink others I definitely do it begrudgingly. I'm also a fan of first-milk. There is something exceptional about the first glass poured from a jug of milk. It's something my husband and I fight over because he loves himself some first-milk as well.

I love music. Neil and I are lucky enough to love a lot of the same music so we have it playing in our home most of the time. It's just good for the soul! I attach times in my life to albums or songs or artists and I can recall certain road trips or dates or experiences to what I was listening to at the time. I feel like I've got a well rounded interest and can find something enjoyable in most genres. Music is essential and makes up a big part of who I am.

When I was 7 years old I was bit in the face by a neighbor's dog. I was in the emergency room for 2 hours while the doctor stitched me up with 37 stitches across my face. Along with a few scars I've got one nostril that is slightly smaller than the other. I heard a joke once that my nose was like an electrical outlet - ya know, with one side a little bigger than the other - and it was one of the funniest things I've ever heard. I'm fine with my dog-nose as it's lovingly called by my brother in laws mostly, even if I do look like a plug-in.



 Well there you have it - 7 things you've been dying to know about me! I invite you to do the same, c'mon.... I'll let you off the hook for the FOTDs. :) Leave me a link in the comments so I can come see it if you do!

new pics

You may or may not have noticed I added a little slide show of my family on the sidebar over there ----->

Those adorable family pics (and the photos in my header) were taken by my dear friend and incredible photographer Mandy Baker. You can check her out here. She is so awesome at what she does and I'm not saying that because she's a good friend, I'm saying that because... she's so awesome at what she does!

Go pay her a visit and leave some comment lovin'!

Sleek shimmer

Seriously don't pay attention to my unruly eyebrows (what is going on?!) but here are just a couple shots of some of the shimmery shadows from the Sleek Storm palette. I did these looks with a few of the darker shades (obviously) and here's how they turned out.

*And another thing - how do you get good photos of your eye close up?! I see all these amazing photos and when I try it the light catches everything funny and it looks like I've been blending with my fists! Hrmph.*


Anyway, poor photos aside, the Storm palette is amazing and I'm still loving it.

Have you bought it yet?!

a laugh

I'm sure most of you have seen this clip before but it never gets old! For some reason I've been laughing about it all weekend and thought I'd share the laughs. The video is poor quality but the sound is what's important anyway. Woops!

Enjoy!

I've been thinking

I read a lot of crafty blogs, I read a lot of beauty blogs - all blogs that are very specific to their art. Yet, I wonder if those gals ever want to branch out and post about something else!!?!! When I think about my own blog I don't think I could ever keep it to one topic - because I'm not into just one topic, (as I'm sure they aren't either). I love makeup, I love creating with my hands, I love clothes, I love sharing stories about my kids - and I want to blog about it all. I think it's fun to throw a little bit of everything out there. I love the themed blogs but I guess I'm just too scatterbrained to focus on one thing.

And with that let me tell you I've got a lot more makeup talk coming up...... surprised?!

Sleek Palette FOTD

I had a few gals ask to see more from the Sleek palette I raved about and I figured it's only fair since I did rave. Sooooooo I'm pulling up my socks and doing another FOTD. Here, I am wearing the matte brown shades from the Sleek Storm palette. Most of the colors are shimmery but these few, and I love them! I'll show you the shimmery shades some other time as they really are quite impressive. I was happy with this eye makeup all day long, it didn't shift or fade. I did wear this over my MAC Painterly paint pot and I suggest using an eyeshadow primer (as I do with ALL eyeshadows - I don't go a day without it) underneath.

If you haven't used an eyeshadow primer before please do yourself a favor and go get one (most brands have one). You will notice a great improvement in the look and lasting-ness (really, did I just say that?) of your eyeshadow. That's a promise from me, take it for what it's worth. :)

Products Used

MAC  Face and Body Foundation

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly

matte shadows from the Storm Sleek palette

MAC pencil eyeliner in Engraved

Loreal Voluminous mascara

MAC Lipglass in Oyster Girl (LOVE this)

Happy Valentine's Day

I am a lucky girl to wake up to these handsome faces this morning, complete with a love note and pink heart-shaped pancakes. I hope you've all felt loved on your Valentine's Day!

Faux Chenille Blanket and How Much I Hate Bias Tape

When my friend Laura saw this tutorial she knew right away that she wanted to make one. She sent me the link and asked if it was a project I would be interested in too. I didn't have anyone in mind for a baby blanket but it looked like such a great project I said yes.

I found this amazing fabric down at Joanns and have been so happy with my choice. I will skip a tutorial because you can see every step on Made's blog. It is definitely a time consuming project but it is not difficult by any means. EXCEPT for the bias tape! I'm sure others are more coordinated than myself and have no problem with the stuff but I unpicked it three times before calling Laura and making her come over and help me with it. She is an expert at these things and within 5 minutes I was sewing away finishing my blanket. The bias tape is not perfect but at least it's on, thanks Laura! I am so thrilled with how this blanket turned out, I love the colors, the way it frayed, and how it all came together.

I just have to decide what lucky baby to give it to! :)

 I chose beige, aqua and chocolate brown for my solid colors, I think they tie in with the patterned fabric perfectly. Laura used flannel in her blanket, I used only cotton. Mine didn't fray up quite as much as hers but it still leaves such a cute effect.

The adorable pattern, it's my favorite fabric in a long time.

All done!

Sleek Makeup

Alright, alright, I know I've been all makeup talk here lately and I do promise something else is coming up (like the fabulous faux chenille blanket I'm finishing today!) but I really must share with you a product I just discovered. I have read so much about this Sleek makeup brand found in the UK so naturally I decided I had to try it out myself. I went on ebay and found one of their 12 eyeshadow palettes for around $8. I decided I could handle that if it turned out to be horrible. I ordered the eyeshadow compact in Storm as I had read that it was versatile and had a lot of neutrals which are hard to screw up. It arrived yesterday and I have to say I am blown out of the water. It is AWE-SOME! The packaging is well... sleek, and the product is highly pigmented with just the right amount of shimmer (this compact comes with a few matte shadows as well). (Click here to see another review on Storm, where she swatches the colors for you.) I wore it all day yesterday with MAC Painterly Paint Pot underneath and it did not shift or crease and the color lasted all day. I had read some gals compare it to makeup's golden boy MAC and I was skeptic but I have to agree, it really is of equal (dare I say better?!) quality to our beloved MAC - for a fraction of the price! I have already put the Original and Bad Girl compacts on my wish list.

If you would like high quality makeup but don't want to break the bank you can visit Sleek's website here. They do ship internationally but I encourage you to search ebay as I have found the palettes slightly cheaper and the shipping significantly cheaper there (and you can find limited edition palettes the website no longer carries.) 

Pictured here is the Storm palette I just received. I can not stress enough how much this picture does not do the product justice. I promise you will not be disappointed.

FOTD

As you know I have been reading a lot of beauty blogs and one thing I am especially enjoying are the FOTDs (Face Of The Day). I love to see how other gals apply their makeup and the colors they choose to pair together. One product I have seen coming up time and time again lately is MAC's Club eyeshadow. I happen to own this e/s and have enjoyed reading the different ways girls are using it. I thought I would brave it out and do my own FOTD showing the way I like to wear Club. Depending on what angle you look at it Club looks either reddy brown or quite green. It's a very versatile color. I like to pair it with MAC's Surreal eyeshadow (Steamy would also be great) as it is an aqua/green color itself and I find it blends very well into the Club. To keep the look balanced I have paired it with MAC's Creme d' Nude on the lips (a nude lippie I am certain every girl  NEEDS!)

So here you have it, my first (and maybe only... this is kinda scary, haa!) Face Of The Day:

Products Used

MAC Face and Body foundation 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study 

Revlon Matte e/s in Vintage Lace
MAC e/s in Nylon

MAC e/s Surreal 

MAC e/s Club 

MAC kohl pencil in Engraved

Maybelline liquid eyeliner
Loreal Voluminous mascara

MAC Creme d' Nude lipstick

Do you enjoy FOTDs?

SAMM

Well I have a decision to make. The linky tool that I have been using for the SAMM linky party has turned to a subscription program. The fee is minimal and I am happy to pay it if there is interest. I enjoy the SAMM's and have found some great recipes from what you have shared. I am wondering if it is worth getting a subscription and paying for the use of the linky tool.

Whaddya say?


*EDIT - I just read that the fee must be paid for the entire year upfront. I don't want to spend $24 right now to keep this linky party going. I will be looking for FREE alternatives.

this post is about toilet paper

I feel it is my civic duty to warn you all of a product I have had the misfortune of recently happening upon.

Charmin Basic toilet paper.

I try to be a thrifty shopper and usually buy sales and no-name brands. There are a few products that I feel completely justified buying the brand name at full price - toilet paper is one of them. I mean, come on. My toilet paper of choice is Charmin. Although they have terrible commercials with those mangy little bears, their product really is quite superior and I really enjoy it, as much as you can enjoy.... toilet paper. So when I happened upon Charmin Basic- a toilet paper bearing the brand name I trust yet for half the price I normally pay I thought I came upon a real find. WRONG. This is among the worst toilet papers I have ever used. Not only is it 1 ply, it is scratchy, stiff, and is completely void of softness. The anti-soft. I would hate for one of you to fall into the same trap I did. I am painstakingly making my way through my "12 big rolls!" at which point I will wash my hands of it (get it, it's a bathroom joke!!!), walk away and never purchase it again. 

Be ye warned. 

SAMT

Share A Meal Tuesday right? Isn't that what I called it?

Here's my recipe for the day. Taco Soup. I have always thought that EVERYONE knows what taco soup is. It's as common as spaghetti I thought. I have been surprised at how many people we've talked to or had over that have never heard of it let alone eaten it. If you are among those that have been living under a rock I'm sharing this recipe for you. I hope you enjoy it!

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger

1 chopped onion

1 qt bottled tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can pork and beans

1 can corn (with juice)

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

1 pkg taco seasoning

Brown hamburger with onion and drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and summer for 15 minutes. Serve with nacho chips, grated cheese and sour cream.

*now this is just one recipe and you can doctor it however you like. Neil is the taco soup maker in our home and he really vamps it up - he adds a can of 6 bean medley, chick peas and all kinds of spices (you know how he likes his flavor!) so don't be afraid, make it to YOUR liking.

What have you been making lately? Please share!