Blingn' & Bloggin'

Mineral Foundation Transformer

2012-01-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Ano Nuevo y'all!

I hope that the new year ushers in new goals and challenges and memorable moments for you all. My new year was spent quietly with my family. While the baby slept me and the hubby and my daughter who woke up to the sound of fireworks, had glasses of sparkling cider. It was quiet and wonderful as she watched the vivid colors of the fireworks illuminate the night.

Today I'm reviewing, a God send of a liquid that I purchased on Etsy via AceNaturals that makes any powder mineral foundation into a liquid foundation. I recently have noticed that even with exfoliating the apples of my cheeks were getting dry patches and it was very revealing when i used my powder mineral foundation. Even though i do moisturize with Argan oil and prime using mark. Primed for Perfection, my cheeks were still drying out. This was quite disturbing that despite all my efforts my skin still was not receiving enough moisture. So the search for a liquid mineral foundation began...much to my dismay. I abhor looking for foundation. It's a lot of testing and disappointment and frustration..not to mention a lot of monetary investment , even if it is samples. One and two dollars here and there really adds up.

However, I pressed on, looking at sellers on Etsy who made liquid foundation, established indie companies that had their own line of LMF (liquid Mineral Foundation) and much to my dismay were the ingredients. I love PMF (Powder Mineral Foundation) because of the lack of ingredients. I in my current foundation there are 5 ingredients, all safe and lovely. In the light formulation of it there are 6 but again all stuff i trust and know won't harm my skin. when liquid is added to PMF the issue of preservation becomes strongly apparent. Keeping the soft creamy feel of the foundation also is another issue and blending and not settling in fine lines etc..all the hassles of traditional liquid makeup comes back (of which i heartily tossed when making the switch to MMU year ago).

Ingredient lists get longer and more complex. Not the route I wanted to go. So i looked to see if there was a mist or a liquid by itself i could add to my PMF that would help. Lots of sites suggest a mist of filtered water to set the makeup, but i hate misting my face. Not a feeling i want everyday, plus it would ruin my hair in the process. Curly hair gals have enough to deal with. There were a couple of mixing mediums but the paraben preservatives immediately disqualified them.

Enter AceNaturals. Founder and owner of Organic Mobile Tanning, Erik Ace in Miami Florida, is an esthetician student and handmakes all his products. He has this liquid that is a mixture of oils which, when combined with PMF, creates a creamy luscious liquid foundation. The bottle of oils sells for $5.99. So, a small investment and oils, which work with my skin such as avocado, carrot and chamomile seed oils- all of which are great for the skin no matter your condition- how could i be dissapointed?

When it arrived in the mail I was so excited! Here is this small bottle of liquid gold that will help my face. The bottle was shrink wrapped and came with a paper of detailed instructions and a small .15cc measuring scoop for my PMF. The mixture of oils is silky smooth. When you follow the directions and incorporate with the PMF the result is a creamy, luxe combination of MMU. I didn't think this small scoop of PMF would cover my face but it does! The LMF glides on and sets to a powder finish that is light and barely detectable. My face felt soft, moisturized and lines were not visible. Remember, I do moisturize and prime before. I also put on a very light dusting of finishing powder. Still had my glow from my foundation and the bennies of a liquid..yay! Great day in the Nation!

Test run was a girls nite with a friend and it was a great test run. My makeup didn't itch, my friend said I had good coverage and it looked great. Wasn't shiny and i didn't feel like i had a layer of stuff on my face!

So this Powder to Liquid Transformer (yes my name for it) gets 5 stars from me!
Check out AceNaturals on Etsy!

Fave sugar Scrub: Sweet Moroccan Scrub

2011-12-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

Okay so I have raved about Rhassoul Clay, and Argan oil is so wonderful for skin, hair and everything. Combine the two and you have a great mask or separate them and it can be a Rhassoul clay mask/ facial cleanser, the Argan oil moisturizer post mask/cleanser. If you add Sugar in the Raw, you have a great sugar scrub that leaves your skin hydrated and baby soft.

For single preparations I love using the Sugar in the Raw packets. It's cheaper than buying a bag, it's space saving and I can usually squeeze 4 preparations out of it. 3 if i really need a strong scrub.

Here is my Recipe:

Sweet Moroccan Scrub:

This is for a single preparation:
1tbs. Rhassoul Clay
1tsp. Argan oil (yup that much)
1/4 packet of Sugar in the Raw

Wet face with luke warm water.
place Rhassoul Clay in palm of hand
Add Argan oil to clay
Add sugar
Mix with indx finger hen evenly distrubute on hands and scrub into face.
Use gentle circular motions.
Rinse face with cold water and pat face dry. Face should feel smooth, hydrated and silky.

If you need a little more hydration use 1 to 2 drops argan oil and apply to dry areas.

Love doing this before bed and my face is perfectly balanced when i wake up. Argan oil is such a God send for me. If you do not wish to prepare the scrub in your hand use a small nonporous bowl or cup and mix ingredients with a spoon then follow the rest of the directions. I hope you enjoy this scrub and please let me know how it works for you.

"The Nutcracker" and BFTE Eyeshadow Giveaway

2011-12-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas y'all!I am so glad to have some time to be able to post. I haven't in soo long. Well with the Christmas season in full swing, I have to say one of my favorite things about Christmas is the Nutcracker Ballet. I have been watching
it on PBS and live since i was a little girl.

While it's best live, it can get expensive, so i am eternally grateful for my PBS station to allow me to see the George Balanchine Nutcracker and various other versions of the ballet (love the San Francisco Ballet version). Now that i have my own kids and in particular my daughter is now big enough to understand it, watching the Nutcracker with her for the second year in a row has been very fun and educational for us both. It also has provided us with something to
bond over and discuss. Who doesn't love the Sugar Plum Fairy?

The colors of the costumes and the Land of Sweets always captivated me as it does now with my daughter.This year she was so enamoured with the Flowers and the Dewdrop fairy...pink was everywhere.

Beauty From the Earth has put out three Limited Edition eyeshadow collections which I think capture the feel of this beautiful ballet.Each set contains three full sized jars of loose mineral eyeshadow. enough to provide for many fun looks and days of enjoyment.

The first, Sweet Tooth, with a beautiful purple, sugary pink and spicy yellow colors reminded me exactly of the backdrop to the New York Met Balanchine Nutcracker. It just cries out candy shoppe. Lovely for a party or to spice up a neutral look.

The Nutcracker Collection also with three stunning colors, has Cavalier which is the beautiful red color. The Cavalier has a great solo after his dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy. With such great leaps and turns, very exciting. Red is such a great shade to describe how powerful this male dancer has to be in order to lift, catch, spin, and leap in the Nutcracker. The Mouse King shade would look great in the center of the eye to give an extra pop. Clara, the green shade is wonderful because i always associate her with the Christmas tree as it grows large and Clara shrinks to the size of the Nutcracker. It is truly amazing how the theater works to make a production larger than life.

The final collection, still yet to be released is called Winter Wonderland. Another favorite part of mine is the Dancing in the Snow scene. The icy cool shades of light blue, white and the dark of the night time sky in a beautiful shimmering silvery grey are wonderful combinations.

To this end, BFTE is having a blog contest and the winner receives one of the three collections. I would love to have Sweet Tooth. To enter the contest click here for the FB page and details on how to enter.

For the true Nutcracker enthusiast this collection is a great tribute to the ballet and captures beautifully the mood, fun, and innocence of Tchaikovsky's ballet, which he had doubts about after writing the suite. I am glad he decided to allow people to hear it, because it struck me as a child and turned me on to ballet and has brought so much joy to so many generations. It is a tradition on my house and next year I hope to take my daughter to see it live as performed by the Moscow Ballet.

Cheers y'all and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Feliz Dia de Los Reyes!

Underwear..Foundation Garments....flatter your figure from the inside out

2011-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

I was dress shopping today for my Christmas dress. Yes i understand Christmas is still a ways a ways, however, I plan ahead and hate a crowded store so shopping ahead of time is always a plus for me. I did find some dresses I liked. The Mad Men cable show has had such a positive influence on fashion and has embraced clothing that shows curve and is feminine via character Joan Holloway.

I love how she has real curves and a real bustline. Christina Hendricks is just so buxom and gorgeous. The fashions she wears in the show make me go gaga. I love the jewel tones and the hip huggin fit. The length is perfect for curvy gals with the majority of the outfits hitting the knee. There is just something about an exposed knee that can be very sexy and not trashy.

So with all these dresses hitting the scene since the series hit the air I have been stocking up on dresses of this type. So one of my fave types of ways to dress. However, pulling off a dress like this does take some effort when you happen to be a curvy gal. I remember an interview with Hendricks where she had to learn about the foundation garments that help to polish Joan visually. It reminded me of the movie Pleasantville with Reese Witherspoon where she complained about wearing 50lbs of underwear and that she might kill someone with the pointy boobs. I always marveled at how much underwear went into making a polished look. It is something that i think is often neglected today where mega skinny is the way of life and mujeres con curves get pushed to the back.

Foundation garments are another way of saying shapewear. They are garments that help to smooth, lift, and tighten, and in some cases minimize the body so that one can present the best shape possible in a given garment. Think about a wedding gown or even a prom gown. These are two times in a woman's life when we truly concentrate on foundation garments to help us look our best on these important days. Well, foundation garments also help us to look fab when wearing dresses for work or for any occasion. I found some vintage explanation of such garments on Couture Allure Vintage Fashion Blog. The one in particular i really appreciated was the garments for the sheath dress. There was a strapless bra and a high waisted girdle to bring in the hips and flatten and control the tummy. What gal couldn't use some help there. The contraption may look uncomfy but hey ladies if we can wear 5" heels during the day, then we can wear shapewear to help present a better picture of ourselves in a dress.

Spankx help alot with being able to present a more flattering figure when wearing dresses and more form fitting garments. However, don't discount the need for a long line bra and high waisted girdle..yes girdle. Rago makes really good quality shapewear that is fantastic in it's construction and durability. Less expensive shapewear can ride up or roll down and this stuff does not. Herroom.com has the Rago line and presents some reasonable prices. also check Retailmenot.com for further discount coupon codes.

Taking the time to put on foundation garments can help you to lift your bust, smooth you tummy and improve your posture and improve your appearance in a garment. It's worth a try and can even be sexy. Go for the Mad Men curvacious body of Joan. You're soo worth it.

French Toast Casserole..Yum!

2011-06-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Okay having recently checked out Money Saving Mom.com blog, I have fallen in love with her freezer ready recipes. I was very intrigued at the French Toast Casserole in particular. I'm new to freezing meals and having them ready just to heat at a moment's notice. Taken to allrecipes.com (one of my fave sites EVER!) and it looked very similar to bread pudding. Less butter but still quite yummy looking. I added it to my weekly meal plan and tried it out on Friday. Since it was so close to bread pudding i knew to up the amount of Vanilla Extract in the recipe. I am a vanilla extract nut. when a recipe calls for 1tsp I add 3. So yeah i added more then the recommended amount and to the top raisins. Yum! It bakes at 350 for 45-40 min and my house began to smell the way it doe when my mom used to make budin or Bread pudding with raisins.

when the timer went off this is what i had:

Can We say Yummy! This was sweet,warm, gooey,crunchy and comforting all in one bite! I've never seen my daughter go through food so fast before. Even my 9 month old son loved it!

This was so easy and I always have the ingredients on hand. The hubby came home from drill and devoured what was leftover. I made it again for Father's day breakfast and I know he loved waking up to the sweet smells of baking in the morning.

This is going to be such a keeper for the the recipe binder. Though there is no need for a recipe. It's committed to memory. I love that it only has 2 TBS butter in addition to the butter used to coat or as I call it "color" the baking dish. I call it coloring because i used butter in a stick form and it does feel very much like coloring.

According to MSM and the comments to the post, you can either bake this through and freeze it or leave it raw and freeze. If baked through thaw then bake at 350 for 30 min. How easy is that!

This is great for a quick go to recipe and would brighten any occasion or holiday. Click HERE to get the recipe. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

My Kobo ereader cover!

2011-06-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Okay I LOVE my Kobo ereader. It is perfect for my needs which are:
1. read a book without having pages to turn and distract infant while nursing.
2. Easily download and read Library digi books.
3. adjust text size and have wifi

Okay when looking for an ereader i wanted something that was almost bare bones and just simple to use. I didn't need touch, cause the boy is getting bigger and arms are getting longer so touch screens are out. Kobo has only one button with four points on it to aid in menu selection, page turning, and adjusting text size and a few other things, but I'm not going into that. If you'd like good reviews please see a YouTube review of the Kobo. Price was a factor too and i got this on ebay for less than $60 including shipping!

It has WIFi which is great if I'm away from my computer and wish to buy a book. It can easily handle epub and pdf formats and digi books from the library which is great! Increasing Library circulation and letting the higher ups know that ebooks at the library are where it's at! Customer Service is nice too.

I also love the quilted texture on the back of the reader which helps with gripping the reader. Fabulous! However, being the lover of accessories ..ie I'm a woman...had to dress up and protect (protection being high on my list..hardy har..yes it was there..somewhere...but there) my ereader. So, to Etsy I went. I did a search for kobo ereader covers and found that seller are willing to customize covers made for the Nook and Kindle to match the size of the Kobo ereader. Yay! It really came down to one seller who had soem striking covers: Dana Designs. She had two that were basically the same thing but with different band colors. One in Magenta and the other in a rich purple. For $24 these are a steal and a treasure!

Dana has been on Etsy since 2009 and is SAHM to three kids, a military wife, and loves shopping for fabric (sister we need to hang out).In addition to ereader covers she also makes tooth-fairy pillows and coffee cup sleeves.

So my decision came to:

Before purchasing i asked if she could customize it to the Kobo specs and she graciously said yes. Purchased the item included specs and shortly there after I got an email from Dana saying the process would take about 10 days. My reply: I look forward to a surprise in my mailbox.
(I love getting parcels. That and handwritten letters.)

Okay above is Dana's gorgeous pic of the cover. Here are my amateur pics, so hang on and i apologize for the glare ..still figuring out lighting and camera settings.

The item came wrapped meticulously in pink tissue paper with a label of Dana Designs.

After opening the tissue paper and yes i unwrap like a little kid..I did say I love parcels. Holding the cover in my hands was like holding a beautiful glove. It's a work of art. Beautiful craftsmanship and attention to details and it's just for me.

The magenta stripe has velcro so the cover shuts and protects (see there it is) the ereader. It's cushioned and safe in the custom cut corners and fits in a as snug as a bug in a rug. I can still easily access the Kobo button for page turning etc. On the right hand side there are two little pockets for whatever..USB cords, reading light, paci. Will be handy when i travel with my ereader.

I am just so happy with this that i had to blog about this bling for my Kobo. If you have an ereader and wish to accessorize it in a decadent way I highly suggest that you go to Dana's Designs and check out her gorgeous stock.

Summer readin': My top 8 Addictive Authors

2011-06-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!

I love summer. The island girl in me really awakens and my skin itches for sand surf and salty sea air. When relaxin by the pool, having a quiet afternoon or just wanting to have some night time reading, I always turn to a few authors for great reading. I have so many but these are my top 8. Not all are series books but each author has had me addicted to their style and their attention to character development that i find myself itching for the next book to release even if it's a year or two away.

1. Clive Cussler - Dirk Pitt, Kurt Austen, and Fargo series are my fave. Great action adventure novels with underwater action and Historical tie-ins. Great stuff. I've been reading Cussler since I was 15. My Dad started me with Inca Gold I've been hooked ever since!

2.Lauren Willig - The Flower Spy series. Mystery, intrigue, Jane Austen settings, romance and great historical fiction fun! Can't wait for the new book to come out in January 2012.

3. Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse Novels aka Southern Vampire Mysteries. These are the books that started the whole True Blood Series on HBO. I love these books! Mystery suspense, thriller, vampires, weres, Fae, shifters, witches and a whole lot more and a little small town bar maid who is more than she appears to be. What more could you want? (Eric in person! duh) The audiobooks are great!

4. Sarah Addison Allen - Her novels all take place in the south and have such great magic and small town lore about them. Her first couple of books even have recipes. There is always great food involved in her books. But the mystery is what really keeps you going. Her main characters are strong and curious. These for me are especially great summer reads.

5. Michelle Moran - If you are fancying a trip to the ancient world, then Michelle Moran is your author. Her first novel Nefertiti, is rich in historical fact and fiction. Heretic Queen is another wonderful trip down the Nile and Cleopatra's Daughter are all wonderfully written books with rich landscapes and powerful storylines that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours of the night. Audiobooks are great here too!

6. Colleen Gleason - Before there was Buffy there was Victoria Gardella. Lady of the ton by day and vampire slayer by night. As her website says " Balls, Beaux, dance cards..and fangs?" Great page turners and the characters are all interesting with their own histories and tales. You will love Victoria and how she naigates her new role and tries to balance family and romance through out this series.

7. Kresely Cole - Immortals After Dark Series is HOT! Paranormal Romance fans will find this a great series as will other readers who are just getting into vampires, werewolves and the like. Cole weaves in mystical characters with myths and legendary characters like the Fae and Valkyrie along with vampires werewolves and witches. The men are hot and the women are strong and complex. Plot lines are always winding and weaving leaving the reader wanting more. Great cover art too.

8. Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dark Hunter series. Love Greek gods and vampires then this series is the ticket. Kenyon blends myth and romance beautifully. You will find you have a love-hate relationship with Artemis goddess of the hunt and her temper tantrums and love of family. You will totally go for Acheron and his band of dark-Hunters who are sexy strong and captivating. The cast of characters is long and wide in Keyon's Dark-hunter world but all is explained and as you delve into the series, it becomes easier to remember who does what and what things mean. Various Pantheons of gods and goddesses are used to bring in different characters so that there characters are not limited to just greek and roman type characters. Audiobooks here are also great and you will Love Simi! If i had the money I would so get the custom doll.

I hope that this list can provide you with some great summer reads. Let me know what authors you find addictive and love to read cover to cover almost in one sitting.

Moroccan Rhassoul Clay

2011-05-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

Okay I'm always looking for a new natural thing to add to my arsenal of natural products for face and hair. I think I may have found a winner in Moroccan Rhassoul Clay. Rhassoul clay comes from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco..often called Moroccan Red clay this burnt red colored clay is a wonder. It has been used for centuries to cleanse and beautify. The clay is naturally fine and only needs the addition of water to become effective.

When I think of a clay for beauty i think of a face mask. This clay is wonderful for the face. I use about 1 tablespoon of clay to just enough water that makes a paste and apply it over my face for a mask. A thin layer is enough to give results of soft and wonderful skin after about 15 minutes. Rinse face with water and pat dry then feel that baby softness of your skin. If you have acne it also is supposed to dial it back and help eliminate. I can attest to the drying out of blemishes and the dialing back of breakouts. Complete eradication..not there yet, maybe a few more uses of the clay. The reason: Rhassoul clay is rich in minerals such as silica, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium and sodium. It helps detoxify the skin while it exfoliates gently. It balances skin’s natural oil production, and is hydrating to dry skin and calming to oily skin. It improves clarity, removes dead skin cells, and improves skin texture.

I've also used the clay to remove makeup. I use mineral makeup and a primer one for my face and one for my eyes so i have two products with silicone which can be difficult to remove without drug store removers or using an oil cleansing method. I'm not comfy with using oil on my eyes all the time even though it's effective, also I'm not liking having to buy cotton balls all the time or wash wash cloths over and over (laundry of an infant 4 yo and two adults is a lot already) also, I think eliminating those items is just a little more green. Back to the Rhassoul clay. Using the Rhassoul clay as a makeup remover is amazing. Letting the clay powder become a full on clay and remove my makeup and reveal soft cleansed and balanced skin is AMAZING. My skin is soft, firm and not really in need of my nightly grapeseed oil moisturization (if i do use the grapeseed oil i use less..wow!). Also it takes me a lot less time to scrub away my makeup with the clay than it does with the oil cleansing method. This to me is a great aspect of the clay because with an infant, time is a precious commodity.

For the hair, Rhassoul clay can be used in two methods: as a cleanser and as a hair mask. The clay is a gentle cleanser and will not strip the hair of essential oil while it cleanses strands and the scalp. Being gentle and having anti-inflammatory properties, Rhassoul clay is said to be a great help for those with dry scalp or dandruff. As a hair mask this is great to increase volume, if you have curly hair it will help control frizz and tighten your curls ( my personal experience). Hair is soft and manageable and frizz free. Mix enough clay and water to produce a mud like consistency rub into hair and wrap with a warm towel or shower cap and leave on for about 15-20 min. wash out thoroughly with warm water.

All in all I am so pleased with the Rhassoul clay. It's an inexpensive and multiple use clay that I am fortunate to have found.

Beauty in a DIY manner

2011-05-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all:

I know it's been a REALLY long time since I have last posted but life has been very busy. Kids growing hubby changing careers and going to school and me trying to keep a float with the constant changes. However, summer is coming ..or rather it's already here in sunny South Central Tejas as the temps are already in the 90's. I already have a tan on my arms and await the day when the rest of my body will tan in like oh 10 minutes. No fake tan necessary here.

Today I hosted the third annual Women's Spa Day at the library I work at. It's a women's day out with DIY spa treatments and a chance for ladies to relax from their hectic schedules and take time to care for themselves using beauty products made from grocery store found items. I enjoy this program so much. It's my big program that I put on at the library. It is so fulfilling to help other learn to relax and take moments to recharge so they can be their best not only for themselves but for others in their lives.

This year I adopted a theme to keep things a little simpler on the ingredient list. The ingredient of choice: Green Tea. I usually do 3 products the ladies can make on site and take home, then one face mask so they can take time to let the mask set and rest before closing their Spa session.

On the Spa Menu:

Green Tea Sugar Facial Scrub

Green Tea Toner

Coffee Body Scrub

Avocado Face Mask

For the green tea Sugar Scrub i found an excellent recipe from bubzbeauty on YouTube:

I adjusted the oil of choice and used sweet almond oil for my attendees.

Green Tea is wonderful for the skin. It has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and can protect skin against the sun and slow the aging process. The caffeine in the tea can also help to tighten the skin giving a younger appearance.

A face scrub helps to remove dead skin from the face and increases blood flow to the face to give the skin that natural healthy glow (think J-Lo Glo).

Next We toned the skin with a Green Tea Toner. Here I divert from most recipes. I love Witch Hazel as a inexpensive and natural toner. Green tea when cooled can also be used as a toner by itself. In the summer for a really cooling toner freeze your brewed green tea in ice cube trays and simply remove a cube when you want to tone your skin. This is great for everyday usage. I like to add witch hazel to the mix. I love the feeling witch hazel gives the skin.

So 3 parts green tea to 1 part witch hazel. Place in bottle and gentle shake to combine. Store in cool dark place or freeze or refrigerate. Use a cotton ball to apply the liquid toner and for the cube use a paper towel so melting toner doesn't go all over your arms and clothing while applying. Kindred Spirit Mommy has a great entry in her blog about her journey with Green Tea that includes the usage of the tea ice cubes. It's a great read.

Coffee Body Scrub was next. This didn't have green Tea, but it had caffeine a plenty. I'm very loose about the recipe here because i love Epsom salts (inexpensive and great for the skin) and i love oily body scrubs. That is, the mixtures has to be quiet wet and just luxurious. I like to feel the oils first rather than the grains and salts or sugars of the scrub. If you don't want to much carrier oil, then just reduce the oil amount to the slushy consistency that works best for you. Happiness in your relaxing body scrub is always paramount. So I will list 2 versions and you can try one or both to see which fits you best.

Christina's Coffee Body Scrub

2 Cups Coffee Grounds (fresh or used)
1.5 cups Epsom Salts
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Sweet Almond Oil

Place grounds and salts into a glass jar and stir to combine.
Add as much carrier oil to dry ingrdients as you like until desired slushiness is achieved.
Place on damp skin and use gentle sweeping circular motions to increase circulation and massage body. When finished luxuriating simply rinse with warm water. Pat skin dry. Smile.

Basic Coffee Scrub Recipe:

2 cups Coffee Grounds
1/2 cup Raw Sugar or Sea Salt
2/3 tbsp Massage Oil
Instructions
The first step would be to add coffee grounds, raw sugar or sea salt and massage oil, in a large mixing bowl and blend well.
Apply the above blended mixture to a damp body in a circular motion and rinse off. Finish off by applying your favorite moisturizer.

Lastly, the face mask. Face mask are used to remove impurities from the skin and impart nutrients deep down into the pores. Kinda like deep condition does for the hair. It's an intensive treatment for your face that can help to balance and nurture your skin. My mask didn't use green tea but i used the green part from the Green Tea idea and went with a Green Avocado face mask. Avocados are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber, folate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, copper and potassium. They are known to have a anti-fungal, anti-bacterial flesh that has been used for centuries. Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. They may also regulate blood pressure due their concentration of Potassium. They can also guard against stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure. What's not to like? Also they make guacamole..hello! Goodness from God!

Back to DIY beauty.

Avocado mask for my Spa Ladies i simply had them mash a half an avocado and apply directly to the face. leave on for no more than 30 min and rinse with warm water. Pat dry. Simple goodness.

A popular partner to the avocado when making a mask for the face is honey. It is a humectant and has anti-bacterial qualities as well (for more info on honey ireferr you to the National Honey Board which has great skincare recipe along with food recipes). It adds moisture to the skin and seeks out moisture to add to the skin. Love Honey! So to one half avocado add 1 Tbs honey blend well and add to face leave on more than 30 min then rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Ladies enjoy the time you take to create and execute these simple but effective spa treatments. Making time for oneself is important. It helps you to recharge and center. Moments of solitude are important in this world on constant information, sound and sights. Relaxing helps you to be a better you and be the best you for family and friends. Relaxation is such a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. Start in little bites. Take 5 min to your self and use the face scrub on your hands ( so much tension is in our hands with all we do everyday). The take it up a minute each time and add these spa treatments or increase your time to pray meditate or just rest. Set aside your lists and cares of the day while in your spa time or "me time" moments.

I hope my Spa Day recipes help you to pamper yourself and seek that restful moment away from everything to rejuvenate and relax.

Nutella jewelry update

2011-03-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Okay so i finally put in my order to Artbeads today to make the Nutella necklace and bracelet for my Sister in-law. The only bead i wasn't able to get in 6mm was the Crystal Golden Shadow. Got it in a 4mm round and have to look else where for the 6mm b/c they r out of stock.

I'm thinking a simple 18-inch necklace with the beads hanging on a jump ring charm style. with different lengths to look more like a cluster. Something casual and fun.

Been battling with sinus infections here at the house and the kids ad i have just been miserable. However, it looks as though we are on the mend and we have a doc's appointment set. I hope that will result in medication to ease my childrens' suffering.

ahh spring.

Day 1 of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge on SITS

2011-02-21T18:18:00.000-08:00

Day 1 of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge on SITS

I'm playing catchup because i just stumbled upon this site today. it is helping tremendously.

The challenge was to compose an elevator pitch for my blog.

I thought about my blog and what i had been posting lately and where I'd like the blog to go. Initially it was supposed to be for this jewelry business I was in and that i wound up hating. Then i got serious about making jewelry and recently i just haven't had the time. I'm into makeup and since there is always something new due to season (I'm a mark rep) or even a holiday or when i loose weight (my treat when i loose 2lbs or more), makeup has been a constant on the blog. I wanted to open up to my readers about myself and my family. So i want to have more sharing about my life and it gives me a reason to take more memorable pictures of the family for my readers to enjoy.

My elevator pitch came to this:

Making bling …makeup reviews..and a life as I know it.

I stay true to my original intent to blog about jewelry but include my love for makeup and anything else I happen to fancy..yay!

My long pitch came out to really get to my heart..i really like it:

One creative gals’ journey of expression through jewelry, experimentation with all things makeup and life as I know it with my husband, kids and cats.

Spring Essentials

2011-02-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

It’s easy to look great this spring, it’s all about being bold and having a softer side.

Here is a list of essentials that every gal should incorporate into their spring look.

Lipstick: Turn up the heat with a coral or hot pink lipstick. Bold warm lips look and speak of confidence. Check out mark. Lipstick in shades Coral Fusion, and Cha Cha for $10.

Blush: always an essential, cream blush for that great flush of color that looks natural. With all the bold colors of spring popping up, keep cheeks natural and light. Get that look with mark’s Just Pinched in five glowing shades for $8 each.

Bronzer: summer is coming but wait, Spring! Bronzer can help with introducing a more radiant complexion for the new season, it is a great change from the winter blahs and can add that needed wakeup call to color and freshness in your makeup wardrobe. Try our Glowdacious illuminaing powder for $12 or Touch & Glow for all over glow for $15. Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder for $10.

Eyeliner: the runways and magazines are packed with models sporting different eyeliner looks from purple eyeliner to variations of wings or cat-eye looks. Go classic or glam it up with color. The sky is the limit and the eyes have it. Mark’s longwearing eyeliner No Place to Run does the trick in eight gorgeous shades for $8. The new felt pen eyeliner What a Line helps achieve the perfect wings for your eyes for only $9.

5. Eye shadow: Rich hues and pastels are coming. Pastels will help to brighten the eye, and dark colors will be great for smokey eyes. Purples & blues will rock in a change for the usual smoky eye. Marilyn Monroe used pastels in her eye shadow looks all the time. Also, see the movie Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst for pastel makeup inspiration. Customize your look with I-Mark shadows $5. Contain your customized look in Custom Color Palettes ranging from $4 to $8. Get it all in one easy compact with the It Kit for $20 featuring 3 shadows, a bronzer, lipglosses and color creams for eyes lips and cheeks.

You can find all these products I mentioned at my eBoutique http://creedy.mymarkstore.com

I love spring..it’s a time for looking at life anew

and taking bold new steps.

Family update.

2011-02-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last posting. It's been a lot of change in the house with the hubby starting nursing school and trying to get used to his class schedule. Lots of prayers needed to help us through this time of change and growth, but God gives us what we need and what we can handle.

The children are growing, we've registered my daughter for Pre-K to start in august. So excited and yet terrified all at the same time. She has come so far from just a small 3lbs. premie. I know school will be where she truly blossoms. My son is getting long. At 5months he's fitting into 9m clothing due to his long body and it's amazing how much he has grown and loves to play with his sister.

Ahh my two jewels.

Myself, trying to ride the whirl wind and emerge with an organized home. My new obsession is digital scrapbooking. so much easier and no overwhelming or as expensive as regular scrapbooking. Learning to use Paint.net open software and having fun with it. On the search for Easter shoes since i found my dress for $14.99 @ Ross. It's purple and i LOVE it!

Has yo-yo's (picture does depict exact shade of purple but this is a good example of dress detail on neckline) on the neckline and is so very MadMen. So i want a shoe that is Striking and i haven't found THE one yet.

With warmer weather coming, walking is getting to be my cardio of choice. Hoping it will help me focus and yes weight loss is an added benefit. Dropping dress size would be sweet!

That's all for now. Glad I got a post in for this week. What topics would you like to see this year on my blog?

Nutella..an addiction and now a new jewelry project!

2011-01-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011! I hope everyone's New Year was blissful and surrounded by family and friends. At home, ours was quiet and my daughter fell asleep 15 min before midnight. The infant stayed up though. My hubby and I kissed in the new year with sparkling grape juice (i'm nursing so bubbly will have to wait another year or so). New Year's is always special for the hubby and I because it's the anniversary of our first date. So it's always a romantic and special night for us when we kiss in the new year.

If you haven't had Nutella, a rich chocolaty hazelnut spread of uber goodness, then you are missing out on one of the best tastes of the world! I cannot tell you how wonderful this stuff is! It has caused a sensation in our house and has litterally spread throughout the rest of my family as a wonderful treat turned addiction. My husband equates it to that of a drug addiction and claims I'm his Nutella dealer. Whatever my darling you need to say in order to come clean about being a Nutella-holic. That being said, my sister in-law is a nutella nut as well. In fact she's worse than i am she has the little 1/2 oz. packages in her purse! OMG and i thought my hubby was bad. Well to that end the addicition has provided me with a way to make her Bling that will go along with her love for the wonderful hazelnut spread that is Nutella.

I have found a wonderful seller on Etsy that has Nutella jar beads! Yes you read right Nutella Jar beads! I plan to make her a bracelet to celebrate her love of Nutella. This will be so cool and give me the opportunity to use some chocolate pearls and shades of Topaz and brown Swarovski crystals. My pearls are just wonderful and will look great with the theme of chocolate.

The shade of Swarovski crystals I plan to use are the following:

Smoked Topaz

Crystal Golden Shadow

Light Smoked Topaz

Mocca

I think that mix will be a nice accent to the jar beads. I still need to find a clasp that will do though. Antiqued Copper would be nice and coordinating head and eyepins. This is going to be great.

Bling Element: Hematite

2010-12-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

Metallics abounding in fashion magazines for winter season, I decided to make a pair of earrings that are metallic and smokey. I used hematite beads and sterling silver parts. At 1.5 inches these little hematite danglers are perfect for a night out and reminds me of New Years' Eve.

Hematite, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is an iron ore. Ferric Oxide to be exact. The Greeks gave this mineral it's name due to it's red properties that reminded them of blood (think rust). The steely gray color is just one form of the minerals color spectrum. The gray color also occurs because of it's crystaline structre which make sit different from rust, though the two have the same chemical formula. According to NASA, hematite is an indicator that Mars may have had water on the surface at one point. Back here on Planeta Terra, the stone is noted for it's magnetic and healing properties. Often thought to purify the blood, During Victorian times the dark stone was worn during mourning periods. Another said use for the stone is to help with mental organization. Maybe i should wear it more often..my whole house needs to be better organized. Hematite is also associated with root chakra to ground and balance the body.

For me it's a beautiful dark stone I love using in design and wearing. In fact one of my most treasured pieces of jewelry is a hematite arrowhead necklace made by the Pueblo Indians from New Mexico that my then boyfriend, now husband bought for me.

Add a piece of steel gray bling this winter to your wardobe!

Vintage Santa Gift Tags bling with gold ink

2010-11-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

With the holiday season upon us i have decided to make items that are Christmas themed. To that end I thought of something that i would enjoy and that could be done easily. Gift tags were the answer. I love vintage Christmas cards and images. Found some Free images and this is what I came up with, a set of three tags with a vintage feel on heavy cardstock.

They all have a red grosgrain ribbon about 5" long and they are quite large making them stand out among regular gift tags. I printed them out on Bazzil white card stock. Then proceeded to hank ink the border to give it a worn and antique feel. The ink color was simply called Gold by Stampabilities. The font I found on DaFont.com call Penshurst Shadow. It's a very classic font and I love how it fits in with the vintage cards.

I love this one. Bells for Christmas just make me happy and remind me of It's a Wonderful Life.
Found this information on Holidayinsights.com

Why Bells??
Bells announce the coming or arrival of an event, activity, or occasion. They toll for good times. They toll for bad times. They ring out warnings. Bells herald in the New Year. Bells are rung to announce the union of a man and a woman. They are rung during Christmas to announce the arrival of the season, to proclaim the birth of Christ.
Ringing of bells can be traced back to pagan winter celebrations. During those times, noisemakers were used to scare away evil spirits in the night. Among those early noisemakers were bells. People had fun ringing the bells and making noise. It was too much fun to just use bells to scare demons away. So over time, bell ringing was incorporated into other events and activities. Bells are rung at churches to call people to gather, as warnings, and to bring people together to make announcements.
From these ancient roots, the ringing of bells began to be used in the Christian Christmas season. The soft, cheerful tones blended well and enhanced the sounds of the season. Today, they play an important, traditional role during the holiday.

I love this tag with the mistletoe toe. It's just stunning and timeless.

My thrid and final tag:

What is Christmas without children. This cherubic pair fit the bill for happy Christmas carolers or children on the way to Grandma's house to celebrate. Bearing holly and misteltoe they are just too cute for words.

They are listed as a set in my Artfire store. I hope they make someone's gifts extra special or add great art to a scrapbook page. More to come soon keep checking back.

Get ready for the Holidays with mark!

2010-10-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Halloween is on Sunday and the thoughts of Thanksgiving and Christmas have just begun to flutter to my mind. How time flies. How to get gifts for relatives while on a budget and provide great quality and items that are en vogue are always a challenge.

This Christmas, mark is going to help me accomplish that task. The November 2010 magalog (Magazine Catalog)has been posted and my store is available 24/7 365 for shopping. Free shipping for any order over $20 ships free with code: MFS20

Magalog 12 (11/9/10 to 12/7/10): http://youravon.com/static/catalog/2010/24/en/p900.html?ba=null
My Store: http://creedy.mymarkstore.com

Two of My faves: Below are two of my faves which are hookup and can connect together and easily fit in a purse and travel safely with you everywhere. Don't let the size fool you . This makeup is a follower of my fave saying "a little goes a long way." These would be great stocking stuffers and secret santa gifts for the gal on the go or the makeup lover in your family.

1)scanda-lash HOOK UP MASCARA

Thickens and defines lashes. Fits in your purse with ease and lasts a super long time. Sexy lashes in an NY-minute. I use it in Blacklash.

Price: $6.00

2) glow baby glow HOOK UP LIP GLOSS

Mint-flavored lip gloss. Great color shine and a kiss of mint..yum! Pink Crush & Smooches are gorgeous! These remind me of Stila glosses and are $14 cheaper! Ah savings!

Price: $6.00

Stop by my store and find something for yourself or for another either way shop mark and shop happy.
http://creedy.mymarkstore.com

Our newborn..Baby Julian.

2010-09-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have a few men in my life that I have truly loved instantly. The First is my Dad. The first man i loved, my first Valentine, one of my fave playmates and the guy who gave me my first scooter ride (to a 3 yr old that is a HUGE thing).

The second is my brother. The one who made me a big sister. My shadow and the kid who wouldn't hold back when playing Teenage mutant Ninja Turtles or He-Man.

The third, my husband. I knew when we first met that he was THE one. It's been rough with ups and downs of life but the love is still there in spades.

My newest love is my newborn son, Julian. How small and perfect he is. Whether sleeping or crying he is just lovely. He makes my heart skip a beat like in high school when the cute guy would pass-by. I am truly humbled and blessed to have him in my life and can't wait to share in his life.

here he is:

Here he is with Big sister Victoria and my Hubby. My cup runeth over.

Dr. Bronner's for Baby- New HG for my kids

2010-08-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

okay y'all, in my search for products that are better for my family and cost effective, I have rediscovered Dr. Bronner's Castile Soaps. I had read abot them from the raveson the HHWC forums and a few other blogs. However, at the time, with only one kid, the expense was just not right for my family at the time. now with the second kiddo almost here (typing this as i'm having contractions), now is abetter time to further reduce the family spending budget and use products that are better for my family.
I remember the pain for the Johnson's "Tear-free" shampoo causing me pain and tears. The same occurred to my daughter and i had to switch. Burt's Bees was no much help either though tipping my daughter's head back to lessen the amount of shampoo hitting her face improved things.

Okay, enter Dr.Bronner's into my mind. Castile soap that is mild and has rave reviews. Went to the Vitamin Shoppe and got the Organic Unscented Baby-Mild Pure Castile Soap.
Got the 8oz bottle for $5.49 and have diluted it with water into a travel shampoo bottle for my daughter. I know with Dr. Bronner's it's not tear free, but it's sulfate and harsh chemical free. My daughter has no incidents with me administered with the tilt back method and her curls have improved.

The ingredients fro Dr. Bronner's Baby-Mild formula are:
Water, saponified organic coconut & organic olive oils (w/ retained glycerin), organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil, sea salt, citric acid, vitamin E.

All great stuff. In case you are wondering what saponified means, according to dictionary.com: "to convert (a fat) into soap by treating with an alkali."

I remember on Dirty Jobs a soap maker saying saponification is when the soapmaker adds something like lye to the fat, the chemical reaction results in soap.

Results so far are:
Skin is soft and no need for lotion. Hair, like i said curls are great and i don't have to use as much EV Coconut Oil to detangle. YAY!

glitter-graphics.com

Thinking about fitness

2010-08-19T19:26:00.001-07:00

I have my Yummy Mummy Fitness plan and the Get Ripped Series by Jari love. Also have a few other videos to help me get me to shed pounds and get the heart rate up. But i love variety so I've been looking for other exercises to pack into my routines for the coming months.

Found this video on Self.com that uses resistance bands, i love resistance tubes and band they are wonderful. I can take them into any room and do what i need to do and get a great workout.

Also like this one:

Going to be journaling online and i think i have a separate blog just for that. Yes I do! here is the link: Journey to Fit Yummy Mumminess.

I stopped in October 2009. Pretty much right before hubby came home from deployment and before second baby was on the way, so a few changes will have to be made to the layout. Done! It's still pink but a lil fresher looking.

I am committed to making this fitness thing work and i may even be brave and post a food journal. that for me is the hardest thing to do. We'll see.

My workouts will all be at home until i add Zumba classes on base. It'll take me a while though until i fully recover. I hate going to the gym, so i have made my office a quazi gym. Free weights an adjustable bench and step, resistance bands, weighted bar, weighted ball ( do plan to get some more, but have yet to see them at a price i like.) yoga band and yoga mat. I might want a new peice of equipment but we'll see as i go along. Oh yeah i also have an elliptical i will use for cardio in addition to Leslie Sansone and Jari Love's interval training. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is great stuff especially now that I will have two little ones- a 3 yr- old and an infant, it's important that i can get the max out of my cardio in a short amount of time.

Prayers and positive thoughts are needed.
So want to make my goal size and goal weight of 140-150 (will decide on a definite number later).

I'm excited!

Exhale: Core Fusion Lean & Toned DVD and Amazon VOD

2010-08-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

I borrowed the Exhale: Core Fusion Lean & Toned DVD from the library because i have been curious about this workout series. The library is always a good place to borrow videos and materials! My beautiful tax dollars hard at work! Always a great thing.

The series is supposed to be yoga, pilates, barre work and other ballet inspired toning workouts. The reviews on Collagevideo and Amazon were all very good. Not really having to use weights or a pro ballet barre was another perk to this series. I had a mat, lite hand weights and chair so i was good to go.

The video is 55 minutes long including the intro. You can further break it up to 5, 10 minute workout sections which are great for this prego woman who can only do at most on a really really good day 20 minutes of working out (with a break in between to hydrate). This video is great. the thighs and butt portion really work the lower body intensely. I also find my core working and that is good so i can have some more strength for delivery. My legs were sore the next day, but it felt great. In between sets there is stretching and i find that really helps to calm and center before getting into another couple of intense movements.

So having previewwed the DVD thanks to my Public Library, i wanted to add it to my exercise collection for my postpartum getting my body back plan. To Amazon i went. Looking at the used versions of the video i came across the Amazon Video on Demand downloadable video. At $9.99 is looks like a good deal. It would DL straight to my computer and i can even transfer it to my Sansa or portable device to play anywhere. Also as long as i can access amazon.com I could also access the video via their Amazon player. This sounds really good.

At first glance this was great. Then after purchasing i realized it would only play on the Amazon Player so then i had to DL the Amazon Unbox which would allow it to DL to my computer and allow me to access it via Windows media player and other players i have on my computer. The down load took and hour...it reminded me of AOL in the 1990's when downloads took forever. You could walk away, have dinner, take a bath and then check on the download and it would still remain in the act of downloading ever so slowly. Finally after the long DL, i could open it in windows Media player, however much to my dismay, the chapter selections were not aviabale as they were on DVD. This is not to my liking because I only wanted two workouts, Thighs and Buns. I had to scroll through and look for the workout by sight. Very annoying. Went back to Amazon VOD FAQ and it did say that chapter selections were not avaiable on all videos. Which really bites because if in the main menu of the original DVD it's there it should transfer over to the VOD. My next thought was can i return the item and get a refund to purchase the DVD? Also in the FAQ the answer was no. Frustrating.

I am keeping in mind that Amazon VOD is a new concept for the site and they are still working out the kinks. However, i still feel disappointed with the lack of chapters and the fact that one cannot simply play a video on the default player installed on a computer and the Amazon brand of players and stuff has to be downloaded. It's like the kindle, where you are locked to amazon purchases and can't even borrow electronic items from the library. Very upsetting. I can't tell you how many kindle owners are upset when they find out they can't DL materials from the Library to their Kindle. Amazon needs to let go and realize customers just want to purchase and borrow from the library. Also tight budgets prohibit tons of book purchases. Also sometimes readers just want to preview the book before buying and the library is a great place to check out books and see if the book you are interested in is really something you can get into.

Ugh. Just makes me mad. So the result is I may have to purchase the DVD anyways and Amazon will get more of my money.

New Look To my Artfire Store

2010-08-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

So the look to my blog has changed and now so has the look to my Artfire.com store. I have renamed my Shoppe and called it Encantada Creations by Christina. I really love the look and found an artist on Artfire who could supply me with a fabulous banner and avatar. Really looking forward t relaunching and getting the word out. I have a few more earrings i want to add to my store offerings and am very excited about.

If you click on the box that has an "EC" on the right hand bar it will take you to my shoppe. On the left hand bar is my Rapid Cart where you can click and purchase straight from my blog. No sign-up to artfire needed. yay! so excited!

Flax Seed Hair Gel..the revoloution for my curly hair!

2010-07-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Been poking around Natruallycurly.com and reading all the posts with the ladies who have decided to abandon conventional hair products and get back to using more natural products which are safe for curly hair and also not stripping or causing reactions on the skin.

When i hear natural sometimes I tend to think the item is going to be more expensive than the store item which i can get for a budget price. Going green does not always mean cheap. It's an adjustment but using items closer to the natural state of things does work better in the long run if the family budget allows for it and i can maintain it well.

Okay so let's lay out how much hair care was costing me before i went the natural route:

Living Proof No Frizz shampoo and conditioner: 2oz bottles = $10 each = $20
Living Proof No Frizz Styling creme: 2 oz bottle = $14
Tresemme Hair Spray: 11oz = $4.99
Bioterra Hair Gel: 38 oz = $9.49 (with club card) plus 13oz bottle to use for travel and refill with the 38oz = 5.99 (with club card)
Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating-Clarifying Shampoo, for Normal to Dry Hair
8.5 fl oz = $7.97
matching conditioner: $7.97

total: $54.47
The no frizz items only last for at most 1 and a half months. The hair spray last really long b/c i barely used it except for the third or fourth day of having curls. Bioterra 38oz lasts a long time. I think about 2 years...had i not stopped using it it would have finally run out this month. The Giovanni used for clarifying once a week and it took a lot to clarify and deep condition my hair maybe 2 months. Not bad but ever other month for Living Proof was driving me up the wall. Besides the ingredients still had Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate in the shampoo and that is drying.

Okay, so having been fed up with no relief from frizz at all...a researching I went. Found Naturally Curly.com and started reading about what these girls have been doing ot better thier curly locks. My hair profile according to the website is a 3b. I have nice corkscrew curls and they can be loose but yes my hair comes out like curls from a curling iron naturally. A blessing and a curse. The girls follow the Curly Girl method or the system of co-washing which is conditioner washing. Using only conditioner to cleanse the hair. Wen is the infomercial version of this process. Couldn't go that route b/c it's so expensive. However the girls on the board said they used inexpensive conditioner like Suave Naturals (which you can get in the dollarstore... hey $1 not bad) for the first rounds of cleansing then used a quality conditioner for the leave in portion.

While this sounded like the way to go for me i still read on and looked for other methods. Shampoo bars. Made with oils and all things moisturizing. They are portable and take forever to use up for nice prices from $3 to almost $10. This sounded like something i could definitely go for. Supporting artisan soap makers and moms, while getting clean and conditioned hair.So i looked at Chagrin Valley Soap. Many of the NC posters use these soaps religiously. So to the web page i went and read the ingredients and was loving it. Okay the prices are really good and the sample prices were also good but i kept looking. To Etsy I went and found that some soap makers used sodium hydroxide in their shampoo bars and had to keep looking. Thanks to CV i knew what ingredients i wanted in my shampoo bar: coconut oil, jojoba oil, shea butter and a few other really moisturizing oils and butters. I was worried about castor oil weighing down my hair but i would have to try it out. Found Koala Care on Etsy and she has this amazing bar called Aphrodite's Shampoo Bar Soap. For $3.50 this mid sized bar (cause CV's are huge) had what i wanted (i think now it's $4.50). Shipping was $2.50 so for $6 happiness achived and conditioner, conventional conditioner knocked out.

To follow that rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar for shine and that's like $1.50 for a small bottle at the grocery store.

Now for the thing this post is name for: Flax Seed Gel
This has the buzz of all the natural beauties on NC forums. Flax seed gel is a natural gel you make at home from boiled flax seeds.
Basic Recipe:
1 C. Water (distilled is great if you have hard water)
1/4 C. Flax Seeds
Natural Preservative like (grapefruit Seed Extract or Vitamin E)

Mix one cup of water to a quarter cup of flaxseeds and add to a pan.
Heat slowly, stirring often to stop seeds from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Continue to stir gently as water comes to a boil.
A frothy jelly will form and it is crucial to turn the heat down a little when seeds settle in the jelly rather than falling immediately to the bottom of the pan turn the heat off.
Carefully pour the liquid through a strainer over a bowl checking for any seeds that may have passed through.
Essential oils or preservative can be added at this point.

To this recipe my preservative is Vitamin E ($6 for 200 capsules at Walmart) and for hold, agave nectar ($3 at grocery store) and for more moisture and great scent Sweet almond oil ($2 at Walmart Latino section of the hair styling products), oh yeah Flax seed at grocery store 1lbs for $2.99.

This has given me the perfect curls. Oh yeah must add EVCO just for volume and yes more moisture ( my hair is very thirsty). I use the EV Coconut Oil ($8.99 at Vitamin Shoppe) last because it seals the hair shaft. Air dry and my hair is just WONDERFUL! The gel lasts for about 2 weeks and i have made a more concentrated mixture so that the hold is stronger. My curls are tighter and frizz free! i love it! It's soft and touchable and even lasts in rain. I can even stretch out washings to almost 7 days and my hair looks better the more gel i add to it and do on water rinse mid week in case of the rim of fuzz appears from sleeping and tossing and turning due to pregnancy (so can't wait to get my body back so i can sleep still on my back).

Total: $30.48

Since I'm using very small amounts of everything this $30.48 is going to stretch a long way. I've only used a half cup- 4oz out of 16oz of the flax seed so far and the almond oil maybe half teaspoon (OMG my hair smells great between this and the EVCO..good enough to eat). ACV is only two cap-fulls in warm water. The shampoo bar has barely wasted away, same with the coconut oil. The vitamin E, two capsules per FSG mix and 1/2 tsp agave nectar. This is a great investment b/c i know this will last over months and $2 here and $6 bucks there my hubby will not complain about anything especially since he has seen the change in my hair health and look.

So for almost $6 more than the cost of just the shampoo and styling creme, I'm getting a much better value and usage. This to me is FABULOUS!

UPDATE: her is my hair i hope you can see it well:

The difference between this and my profile pic...i can touch it and it moves well and it's soft! and $23.99!!!!!!!!!!

Natural Makeup removers: reviews and feelings

2010-07-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Okay so in effort to better my skin and save a few bucks, I have decided to go the natural route with makeup removers. Granted i was only spending $6 at Sephora but i noticed I was getting sensitive to the removers. Maybe it's pregnancy but stinging is not a great thing when trying to remove mascara and eyeshadow.

So here is what i have tried so far:

1) Olive Oil: I use oilve oil from my kitchen which when i do purchase every so often is about $8 for the grocery store brand which i love to cook with has a light fruity scent and is not too heavy. I have used this olive oil along with brown sugar for a face scrub and as a makeup remover and it is great stuff. I have to be careful around the eyes because sometimes it will sting but that is if i over soak my cotton ball. It leaves my skin very soft and removing the oil takes minutes to a routine which i enjoy taking my time with. So rinsing off olive oil with cool water is not a problem for me. I also add it to my dry cleanser for extra oomph and a better exfoliating experience.

2) Milk: Simple always have it on hand and refreshing. Milk does do a body good and apparently my face loves it too. Using milk as a makeup remover is very effective and moisturizing. I rinse with cool water after 2-3 min of removing makeup just to let some soak in and my skin feel very soft and refreshed. Milk is supposed to cleanse and balance the skin so no need for toner. Also love mixing it with my dry cleanser for a mask or with Aveeno oatmeal powder for a soothing face mask..what a wonderful thing milk it.

3) Vitamin E Oil Capsules: Okay this was on the fence for me. Vitamin E has anti-aging qualities and can soothe the skin..Okay good stuff so far. Bought my Vitamin E capsules at walmart for about $6 to mix with my Flaxseed hair Gel and decided to try it out as a makeup remover. By itself i can use half a capsule on my eyes and the other half capsule on my face. also mixed with my dry cleanser and it took off my makeup but left my skin with a layer of the oil. I was a little worried but maybe a half hour later my skin was supple and smooth. Not greasy or gross. I'm glad i stayed up to read and give it a chance to soak in. In the morning my skin was fine and not an oil slick, but i'm still on the fence about this oil and i think i may need to mix it with another oil to work out the way I would like.

4) Coconut Oil: I use Coconut oil for my hair and to moisturize my prego belly. It soothes my itchy skin that I've had with this pregnancy and i love the smell!As an eye makeup remover this is great! it also removes makeup pretty well, not as well as milk or olive oil but it does get stuff off. My lashes are looking much better since using it as an eye makeup remover and i think i would keep it to that. The oil i have is Extra Virgin CO from the Vitamin shoppe. 15oz for like $9.

5) Sweet Almond Oil: Found a very small jar of this in the Spanish/Latino items section of the hygiene section of Walmart for like $2. Also using it to add to my Flax seed hair gel with great results! and wow what a miracle that stuff is! Smells great and removes everything! Eye makeup, mascara and primer! (that's been my problem i have a great primer and my makeup just stays on) No stinging and my face feels like my daughter's uber soft and smells great. Teh oil is very lite and not greasy and very little goes a long way. I also tried a mixture of this oil and oilve oil and love it!

So my results are almond oil and olive oil work best for my skin and EVCO for just my eyes. Love using milk and Vitamin E hmmmm jury still out on that one. My skin is usually oily but has changed to dry due to pregnancy. When it was oily i did use olive oil with wonderful results.

Try these out and save a few bucks..you might be surprised at the results.

Handmade earrings for a friend

2010-07-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Okay so now that the creative juices are flowing...i have made a belated birthday gift for a friend. a pair of earrings that are just super cute. I used gold filled chain bought at the craft store, and beautiful chunky dark smokey topaz acrylic beads which i found on ebay. Crystal pearls in an olive color also bought at craft store with gold tone hypo-allergenic surgical steel ear wires.

I wanted something flirty and that could go from end of summer right into winter. The dark smokey topaz was just the right shade of sexy. The olive pearl adds earthiness and softness to the facets of the topaz and the hard edge of the chain.

Still experimenting with new scanner so sorry about the fuzz in some places. And it also made the earwires look silver on the end when they are gold. I'm just very happy with these earrings. i 'd love to add them to my Artfire store. Gonna do another pair in silver. I've got deep emerald green chunky beads which would look great for the holidays. Also very sheer lavender which are so nice. I am hereby inspired. Now to create a bracelet to match...hmmm

Coconut Oil back in my life

2010-07-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Okay my hair has gone through so many changes during my twenties and now added on is pregnancy my hair has had it with me and i with her. That being said i looked back to my teen years and how awesome my hair was then. What was the deciding factor in my hair looking so wonderful back then? Coconut oil. It was a small 4oz jar i used to buy in Perth Amboy in one of the grocery stores and it was just pure unrefined coconut oil. Lasted a whole long time and i think the jar was like $2-3 each so not bad.

In the winter it was a great heat protectant for when i straightened out my locks, and the rest of the year a great conditioner and deep conditioning treatment once a week.

So having spent much bucks on stuff that only worked for like a day or a month now I'm going back to what worked for years.

Went to the Vitamin shoppe and got my self a 15oz jar of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for $8.99. It's cold processed and has no additives..just pure coconut oil! The smell is heavenly.

washed my hair after going to the pool and just put the oil and aloe vera in my hair. My hair is bouncy, soft and shiny!

This is with only a dime size amount of product by no frizz in it and I'm very happy. Even put a little into my daughter's hair and what a nice transformation it has made to her curl formation..Shirley temple has nothing on my kid.

Used it on my belly for stretch marks from a very active and growing babe and they are already going away. Much better than the Cocoa Butter which was clogging my skin and causing unsightly breakouts. Hesitant to use it on my face but I've got a good system with rosewater cleanser going on there anyways. On my hands and arms for over night it's great.

I wonder how long it'll take me to go thru this jar? Oh yeah i keep it in the fridge to keep it solid b/c at room temp (76 degrees) it becomes a clear liquid. A little bit goes a long way.

yay! Next project..will be to make natural hair gel from Flax seeds. I'm sick of buying drying hair gel that makes my locks look dry and unhealthy. Hubby is now happy with the reduction in cost for hair products and i can toss conditioner, hopefully gel and other styling products.

this is the you tube video with the flax seed process that i'm going to try:

Until next time!

Update:
second day with coconut oil and i upped the amount in my hair and my hair is fabulous! Shiny, soft moves and i can fluff without frizz! sorry about the grain..my laptop camera needs to be cleaned again.

New Blog Layout

2010-06-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

New blog layout. Wanted something more clean and open. So to Etsy I ran. Looked and looked. My original thought was to do something with pink in it. But then i found this template by SplendidSparrow.

It had colors I had previously used and was brighter than what i had before. Time to make a change and to purchasing i went. PLUS i LOVE damask patterns! This is just perfect!

I have rearranged some of my gadgets and widgets but i do love the new layout and installing was quite easy. (yes i had my fingers crossed as i clicked on save new template) Even my husband noted the nice change and how it looks some much more clean and open.

The designer Teresa is very nice. Here is a bit of info about her from her Esty page:

Hi there! I'm Teresa -- most call me Reese. I'm a graphic, web & blog designer from the East Coast. I currently work with the Blogger and Wordpress (self hosted) platforms. That being said, I would certainly be able to create design elements that you can implement with other platforms - note me if you're interested.

To view more of my work, please visit me at http://www.splendidsparrow.com - my design site & portfolio, where I offer many more premade templates.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Visit her website you will NOT be dissappointed. I just have the blog button to change and that's all to that.

Hope you like the new look!

New silver hoop earrings

2010-06-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have been looking all over for new sterling silver hoop earrings for years. None really ever tickled my fancy and if they did they were out of budget.

I wanted a mid sized silver hoop that could go with everything. When I get or am gifted hoop earrings they must go with everything and have to be pure silver or pure gold in order to withstand being on in the shower and sleeping in them. Yes i sleep with earrings, a watch and bracelet on. My mom used to have bangles on...try that ..every time she moved you could hear the light tinkling of the bangles and bracelets. That was when I was little, I think she only has on one or two bracelets now.
So my search has been going on for a long time. It's not like i don't have a pair already but they are my great grandmother's handed down to me and the latch needs to be adjusted so i don't want to loose a 4 generation heirloom. so the search became a lil more important.

well looking for a suit to interview in while being prego (yeah exactly..not happening) i decided to give up and buy just earrings to go with an outfit i had at home already. At JCPenny they had tremendous sales and i found a gorgeous pair of Sterling silver hoop earrings at a ridiculous percentage off. The original price was $35 and i got them for $10 including the tax! How insane is that!

They are simple, lightweight and just what i needed. Just goes to show that you can find great value and quality during times of fashion distress. They came in a few different sizes and they were all at really good prices.

Mark magalog #7

2010-06-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

Okay all the new Magalog for mark is here!
The campaign runs from Tuesday 06/22/2010 to Tuesday 07/20/2010

Here is the full onlinemagalog:
http://youravon.com/static/catalog/2010/14/en/p900.html?ba=null

It's very exciting. There are some great specials going on!

The full-sized mask is a $9 value FREE when you spend $16 in skincare products.
Choose from TheShine Fighter Oil-Control Mask and the Calm Yourself Hydrating mask:

I like the Shine fighter with summer oily skin happening because it has: kaolin clay, a natural, oil-absorbing clay. Apricot, rich in vitamins A and C, which protects the skin against environmental damage.

Get perfect skin from head to toe!

Gorgeous skin is a must for summer.
Get that glow with mark skincare and the Anti-Acne skincare line.

Back Me Up is a spray specially made for treating acne and other body acne. It also contains apple and cinnamon extracts, plus salicylic acid. The bottle is specially made to allow easy spraying on the body- even if it's held upside down! This will be $10.

Another addition to the line is Blemish Banisher ($12). They are medicated, soaked pads; they contain apple and cinnamon extracts, as well as salicylic acid. These are great for on-the-go use. Just keep the container with you on vacation and use it. All you do is wipe down your face, and you're good to go! It also contains glycolic acid and alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin for a smooth appearance! You get 50 soaked pads for $12.00. By the way, these are GREAT for guys! They're already ready; all you do is swipe it over the face. Unscented, and easy to use. These are most effective after cleansing, before you apply Break Out Plan lotion!

Break Out Plan is a revolutionary formula that is a lightweight gel lotion. It contains apple extract and cinnamon extract, but is unscented. It also contains 1.5% salicylic acid, a drying agent that helps clear up blemishes! It's appropriate for all skin types, but is specially formulated for blemish prone skin. This moisturizer also helps reduce the redness commonly associated with acne! $16

So with mark's new specials and anti-acne additions you are covered for the summer.

more info to come.

Concrete Minerals Electric Eye Primer Review

2010-06-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Okay sick of paying almost $20 for UDPP in sin. It's great stuff but, the price is not so great especially when you consider that one cannot get all the product out even with the angled wand. Ugh! makes me so mad.
So to Etsy i went. Looking for a primer that didn't crease, was cost effective, and make my eyeshadow pop!
I use both loose minerals and regular pot eyeshadow so it need it to work great for both.

I saw a few that looked like just wax in a tin and was not happy with just looking at them. Then, after a few searches, Concrete Minerals kept popping up in my searches. At $8.99, this primer was in my budget. Shipping $2.99 yay!

Concrete Minerals: out of Southern California by Emily, here is her bio from Etsy:

Hey, I'm Emily, founder of Concrete Minerals! I spent years working in the natural cosmetics industry helping great companies reach much-deserved success, so I knew better than most the many benefits of mineral makeup. Yet something was missing that couldn't quite force me to completely abandon my beloved, if over-priced, Sephora brands. Something about the neutral, lifeless colors of mineral makeup made me feel so indescribably bored.

So I created Concrete Minerals! A company hellbent to create sexy, richly-pigmented mineral makeup that's not only healthy, but reminds us why being a girl is badass! We should never feel burdened by makeup, we should cherish the opportunity to play with it!

We believe in quality over quantity. We'll release our newest colors only when we're as crazy about them as we want you to be.

Concrete Minerals products contain no nonsense, commonly referred to as:
:: Parabens
:: Fragrances
:: Dyes
:: Nano-particles
:: Bismuth Oxychloride, Talc or other cheap fillers

Whether you've already made the switch to mineral makeup, or you're looking for one final, good reason, welcome to Concrete Minerals! Bold, sexy and unique, just like the girls who love us!

♥ Emily

What I also loved about Concrete Minerals was thier money back guarantee. She basically states that if you hate the product she will let the buyer exchange it or refund your purchase. Not many sellers say this up front especially with cosmetics.

The product comes in a cute tin and is about .35 oz of product just a little more than UDPP at .34 oz for the regular size. It has a bit of shimmer not as much as sin but that's fine with me b/c sometimes sin is overkill.

The ingredients are: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Beeswax, Dimethicone, Silicon Dioxide, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

This produces a very silky, light weight, and lush primer. Just a little bit of this primer is necessary to make you r eyeshadow pop and look really vibrant. It also lasts all day. It's about 11pm tonight and my eyeshadow is still great looking and there's no creases. I've had it on since about 9am this morning. That's no creases even in 90 plus degree weather plus humidity in south central Tejas. The only down side for me was that i can't use cream shadows with this effectively. Cream shadows are not great for me in generals b/c i have oily skin but i keep trying anyways. One day they will make cream shadows for us oily skin gals.

Anyways, this is a GREAT primer and at less than UDPP via sephora.com (including shipping) this is a keeper! Yay ConcreteMinerals!

find her on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/concreteminerals
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cm_official
http://www.concreteminerals.com/

Summer dresses ..comfy and inexpensive.

2010-06-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Summertime is usually the best time for wearing light dresses that are flirty and comfy. I don't believe you have to spend a lot to find a fab summer dress. and in fact I've been loving what is available ta Walmart from the Faded Glory Collection. I have bought 5 dresses that are just comfy and all under $20 each.

Faded Glory Crochet-Trim Dress: $12

This dress is available at Walmart and Walmart.com for only $12. It's lightweight cotton and totally breathable. I layer it with a Faded glory Tank ( $3.50 on sale $5 regular price) and a pair of cute sandals and I'm ready for the day.
The item description:

Item Description

Cotton voile

Color-match crochet trim

Wrap-style V-neck with embroidery

Adjustable straps

Smocked back

Banded empire waist

Ruffle-trim hem

It comes in four colors, Turquoise, Purple, Pink, and black. I have the Turquoise and Purple one. They are roomy and especially since I'm prego now going a size up usually helps with belly fit. when I'm not prego, these are true to size and just wonderful to stock up on since the colors are gorgeous.

Faded Glory Ruffle Dress: $9

Could not find a picture for this dress. It has a lettuce ruffle neckline and the same trim on the arm holes. a slightly cinched center for gentle pleats down the center and under the bust line which is really flattering. Racer Back cut in the back Hits just at the end of the knee. Made from 100% organic cotton. Then it gently a-lines out. Very soft and light. It comes in Red, Navy, Kelly Green and i think pink and Purple ( was looking for other colors since i already had a purple dress in my hand). At $9 this dress is a steal! With this dress laying it with a cardi or wearing it plain make a great summer picnic outfit or great for casual Friday.

Next two dresses are Maternity dress only available on walmart.com i wish they were in store, It would be so nice.

Maternity Sleeveless Empire Dresses: $18
This dress has ruffled sleeve and a great v-neck cut to enhance the bust line. The fabric is jersey knit so it's ultra-comfy! True to pre-prego size this is a great dress to wear! No complaints here. comes in three colors: Royal Blue, Fuschia, and Black. Great basics to build on.

Maternity Sleeveless Ruffle Scoop Dress: $18 but on clearance for $14

This dress is described as:

Scoop neck with 2-tier ruffle trim

Sleeveless

Elasticized empire waist

Mid-calf length

As with the first maternity dress it has that jersey knit feel and is uber comfy. The ruffled trim at the bottom is flirty and even sexy. Has great appeal when you walk and bounces. I can still seem my lower half so yeah i noticed...it makes me very happy. It comes in Red, Royal Blue and Pretty Purple. I bought the dress for the original price of $18 and it is now on clearance for $14. Under $20 and a great purchase when compared to some other bands which start at $40 for dresses, I'm happy.

Checkout the cotton dresses at Walmart they have a great selection and are perfect for summer. Dress them up or wear them plain great additions to any closet.

Makeup I miss... Covergirl Smoothwear Liptints

2010-05-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Okay so i love finding a product that is just THE IT product and works well for everything!
Then, by the time i find this product, it is discontinued and that is just so frustrating. This product was so it for me when it was discontinued I wrote a handwritten letter and emailed CoverGirl about this with how disappointed i was with the loss of such a great product.

The product is CoverGirl Smoothwear Liptints. My fave shade is #205 Blush Wine (see right pic for swatch).
This product is a smooth lip gloss and in my mind was ahead of it's time. It is super moisturizing with aloe, Shea butter (before Shea butter was an IT ingredient), and Vitamin E. It's long lasting and leaves lips super soft. This color in particular was chosen because it just enhances my own natural lip color. I love glosses in my own lip color and this one is IT. The tube is small enough to fit in any purse and is great on the go at .45 oz.

According to the packaging it is:

Sheer natural Looking, conditioning shine
Don't go Bare- Go Better! Smoothwear Liptints for nude & improved lips. Sheer enriched with Vitamin E, Aloe, & shea butter. Beautify with natural looking shine for soft supple lips over time.

This builds a better set of lips, even when it wears off there are just soft lips that feel great.
There is no peppermint oil in it to provide that sting or plump like my Buxom Dolly gloss ( which the DH hates Buxom for that reason) and it's got a great sheen. It IS my go to when i have nothing else that seems to work or just want color on the weekend without thinking about it. This gloss was using shea butter ebfore it was a huge ingredient in everything from lips to body creams and beyond. So moisturizing. it is perfection

The product was replaced by the Fruit Spritzers, which are NOT the same. They are sticky and greasy and the flavors are very over powering for me. My daughter loves it because they smell so good ( she's only 3) and ran off with the Plum version i had, which was the only acceptable color in the bunch for me and it wasn't that great.

I truly wish Cover Girls had not discontinued the product and i am now reduced to having to look for it on ebay and I did find it at an Aussie site called Glossi, which lists the Liptints for $5AUD. I have 9 here at home and 7 are unopened so i have stock for a while but is till want more because this is a fave of mine. Please CoverGirl bring back the original Smoothwear Liptints!

glitter-graphics.com

So what makeup product or beauty product do you wish would come back? I'd love to hear from you!

Baby shower dreamin'

2010-05-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, i'm six months and change right now. Expecting baby #2 Labor Day weekend.
It's going to be a boy!

glitter-graphics.com

So we will have a matched set...as of this September. So since I've been on a creative streak, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and inspiration for the baby shower

I want a baby shower tht features the color pallet of brown, blue, green and lavender. I'm doing this not only as a shower but a party where all my friends will be together in one space. Since embarking on a tough last academic semester, I reallyhaven't hung out with friends in along time. This pregnancy has ben a bumpy ride but, still optimistic about being more active than last time around.

Created an inspiration board with items and colors i like. I think I need to create a second one b/c my ideas are so much more numerous.

Yup. There will be cupcakes. I hate cutting cake and it gives me the chance to use a tiered cake stand. I found this link to make one for about $5. Interesting. This article has great instructions as well. The Blog Vintage Joy had this post with a cupcake stand made of terracotta pots and pieces. I like it a lot..it seems very sturdy as well. The tutorial is located on Once Wed, which is a great place for DIY wedding projects which can translate to any special occasson. Knowing i just said i hate cuttng cake i really love the belly cake trend. They are so cute and sexy all at the same time.

The bunch of flowers is in the invite i want from lukecommasara 's Shop on Etsy. Just love it! The tissuepaper pom-poms yes i love Martha's pom-poms. Love them! They are so easy to make and are so festive. Then i want to give Bluebonnet seeds as the favor. The Texas stae flower which is blue and accordingto TX DOT they are to be planted frm September 1 to December 15th. Which is great snice the baby will be born in September. I also like the fact that when seeds and plants are involved, it's usually a family endevor. When the bluebonnets are out families take many pictures and it's truly a special time in Texas.

Speaking of flowers, for the table i'd love to have green mums they are just great flowers. They are great looking, modern, chic, clean looking and inexpensive. Simple to add a rose or a focal flower or leave it in an arrngement by itself.

Well, these are my musings on a baby shower. Any ideas drop a comment. Yay party planning...yay a new kiddo!

Makeup review - mark cosmetics by avon

2010-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Looking for great base colors for my eye shadows I purchased some products from mark. cosmetics by Avon.

I got the Winkstick in Demure..which is a creamy shadow in a champagne color. According to the product description: Creamy eye shadow shades glide on smoothly and provide a lasting shimmer. It is a hook up eye shadow stick which means it's part of a modular system which makes it ultra portable to place in a purse or travel bag.

The shade is great champagne color and very shimmery. Testing it out on my hand, it was very soft and the color is excellent. Tried it out the other day as a base to a nice daytime look and I have to say i am very impressed with it's staying power and the fact that a cream shadow did not crease on me.

The next two items are the Mini mark it Stick. I got this product in two colors: Cocoa Bean and Shell. Cocoa bean is a silvery taupe color and the Shell color is a soft nude color. This shimmer stick is so creamy and soft. The product description is: A super-soft, shimmery pencil that glides over lids or along lash lines. In fact, if you mix Coaco bean and shell you get UDPP color of sin. how cool is that and cheaper than buying the genie bottle.
These are very sexy can are great to use as my first layer in an eyeshadow look. No creasing here either. This exciting for someone who has avoided cream eyeshadow for just that specific reason and that i have oily skin so the two do not mix well. Shell also goes well in the corner and lower lash line to brighten and open the eyes. Great stuff. At $6 bucks a piece it a good investment.

My final product was the mark Glossblossom Ripening Lip Tint. This product I bought truly wondering if there was a non-brown pink that could look good on me. I have full lips so i have a phobia of looking like bozo in the pink and red color tones. Phobia aside i decided to try it out and I'm glad I did.

This gloss is so awesome. Oh let me include the product description: Goes on clear, then ripens to a juicy pink to leave lips tinted and shiny. Alluring, personalized pink tone lasts even after the gloss is gone.

Holy moley when i say that my lips looked ripe. it was like what the lips look like after a long kiss with the hubby. The stain stays after the gloss is talked or fades through a normal day. It's great. My lips are so soft! It begins as a kinda clearish gloss with a gold shimmer. Really brings on the pout to the lips. in less than 10 seconds my lips were turning this outstanding pink. Not too bright and not too dark. Just like a beautiful juicy rose color. My lips are soft due to the JOJOBA oil and the best part is that it's not sticky like other lip glosses. It's a small tube but a little goes a long way. This was $6.50 and so worth it. It's affordable and delivers! I will have to purchase more of this when it eventually runs out. This will make great gifts and stocking stuffers for Christmas.

All this and I got free shipping using the code: MFS20 which gets you free shipping on an order of $20 or more. I love that mark has codes for so many levels of purchase from $15 to $35 or more. free shipping is always a great thing.

So if you'd like to purchase these or any other great mark products you can check them out at My Mark Store.

Hair..lovely hair..soft hair..elegant hair

2010-05-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Given the strapless style of my gown, I really want to do something soft and elegant. I've compiled a few choices and would love the input or suggestions.Love the Longoria Pic and the second pic from the left on the bottom row a lot. Biel is center of the mosaic cause it's my top fave.

i just want something soft and elegant but not over the top.

so many to choose from. let me know what you think.

wedding bling!

2010-05-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the hubby and i have attended a wedding. I'm so excited. My daughter's godmother is to be married in June and I'm all a flutter with finding just the right items to wear to her fabulous nuptials.

My hubby has decided he wants to wear his Army dress blues and who am I to say no to my hubby looking uber cute in his uniform, so i have decided to go formal with my attire as well.

My first thing was to find a dress that would accommodate my ever growing tummy. Looking through pictures of gowns i decided that $200 plus bucks was too much to spend on a single gown. so to eBay i went. I wanted a strapless gown that was playful and elegant and mostly my desire was that it had to have chiffon. Fabrics.net notes chiffon as A very lightweight, sheer, flat-crepe textured silk with a dull, soft finish. Often seen in overlays for evening gowns. Excellent for shawls or scarves where a floaty look is desired.

I love how flirty chiffon looks. It just takes me back to all the classic movies i've ever seen with beautiful floaty filmy fabric on gowns. Chiffon shows up in the most beautiful awys just look at Anna Kendrick at the 2010 Oscars:
Chiffon just has that very beautiful appeal and is so light and awesome against the skin. I'm babbling i know.

anyway off to eBay i went in search of a maternity gown that had chiffon. It took me forever to narrow down a style..then i saw as i was surfing one day Tia Mowry's wedding gown:
I went nuts! Chiffon abounding here in this Kevan Hall creation. I loved the whole thing. I knew that something like that would also be easy to wear with my growing belly. However, searching for a dress that was a knock-off of the gown was tough. However, I found something that was just wonderful. at $80 bucks and free shipping it was just in my budget and i could get the color customized to what i want.

To go along with my hubby's Dress Blues I decided to go with a shade of pink that I totally love: Raspberry! This Grecian style gown had the shade i wanted so after emailing the company that i wanted this shade exactly they cheerfully agreed to have it color matched. They also agreed to cut the train off and make room for the belly..yay!

This is just a sexy pink color! Now for shoes. Can't go high because my state of balance is off so a nice 2" to 2.5" heel would be great. Again scouring the net and any shoes store i came upon these:
A little lighter than the raspberry color in fact Sears.com calls it fuchsia. It's called Grace by Metaphor. It was a true steal at $11.99 on Sears.com when the original price was $34.99 I thought this was just lovely. simple and glam all at the same time. with shipping i still was at $16 so i am just elated! Shipping was quick and i got my shoes in a few days. Tried them on and they even have wiggle room in case my feet decide they want to expand. Heel height is about 2.5 inches and this is just very nice. Sears is just one of those place where you can find the unexpected nice item that is quality and the price is always right.

On to the BLING!!! This is not an occasion for me to fret over making my own jewelry although i wanted to but time is of the essence. So I went to yes eBay again and i found a lovely little shop called Robyn's Rhinestones. Beautiful costume jewelry and great prices. I love the way the brides of India dress up with the big jewelry and necklaces. It's simply stunning. Found something Victorian inspired but also reminded me of Bollywood and all that jazz:

This set was $24 and is such a show stopper! This picture does not do justice to this set. it's better in person and not heavy so my ears won't hurt at the end of the evening. Can't do a lot f dancing anyways with my high risk pregnancy so it works out. ha! But yeah beautiful pink crystals and rhinestones on gold tone scroll work. how happy am i! She also had this set in a clear and silver but this gold and pink is just stunning!

I can't wait to get my dress and try it on. In efforts to look great in the dress i started working out my upper body with my resistance bands an i'm noticing a difference already. Yay so exicted to go this wedding and look just great along with my cute hubby. At $120 this is a budget keeper. Next post should be about hair. Still looking for a purse. Would welcome any suggestions.
Tell me what you think!
Until next time!

Moisturizer Reviews..Moans Groans and finally happiness.

2010-04-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

Okay so with my changing skin due to pregnancy, I've had to scour the WWW for a face cream that will hydrate, smell great and feel light on my face without making me greasy or break me out.

I had been using signature Club A by Adrienne Precious Moroccan Argan Oil Day Cream before all my prego hormones changed my skin and found that it started to break me out. This cream was good light and hydrated mys kin beautifully and worked well in winter and summer.

Then i tried the arbonne NutriMinC RE9 Day Crème with SPF 8 and that broke me out..mostly b/c of the sunblock. That's why i use mineral foundation has spf built in and no breakouts. However the NutriMinC RE9 REcover Night Crème, and the hydrating face wash were amazing and the serum for the face were awesome. My skin was hydrated glowed and i woke up refreshed and dewy! However at the prices they are currently out of my reach..and the samples are all gone. <>

Okay then to look for something else. Yes i was frustrated and Tweeted several times about how i hated looking for new moisturizer. A friend recommended the Loreal Active Daily Moisture. This worked for about 2 days before i saw my dry skin coming back and it enlarged pores. Akk! I thought it was going to work, it was light it felt great and had no offensive scent. Sadly no.

Okay so, more researching and going to Totalbeauty.com or makeupalley.com to look for reviews of products that would be great. Again price is an issue. It was agony. I wanted something that i wasn't going to fear putting on my skin and something i felt could help with the dry patches and some now enlarged pores...mainly due to primer with dimethicone in it and worsened by moisturizers that didn't work with my skin.

Off to Etsy and Artfire.com i went. Using the basic search terms "facial cream" as my opening move and narrowing down from there i kept seeing this one brand called La Conchita Naturals. It was a RosewaterFacial Moisturizer. No parabens and promised to hydrate and even be a great base foe mineral foundation. Rosewater is a great toner for the skin to begin with so i decided to try the 1 oz. jar of the product. Wow! is all I can say! This little jar has such potent and great stuff in it that my skin was glowing and happy to be nourished and loved. The cream is light, absorbs quickly and lasts all day.

The primer part, well i need less primer than i did before to get a flawless look. That is great. but by itself i think i would use it only for weekend looks when I'm not going very far or just grocery shopping.

The scent is a light rose scent and not over powering ( great for me because i have heightened sense of smell during pregnancy), this powerful stuff has: Jojoba, Apricot Kernel, and Shea Butter. I add Pro Vitamin B, a generous dose of the antioxidant power of Natural Vitamin E along with Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein and Jojoba Protein to create a truly effective facial moisturizer (straight from the Etsy/Artfire listing for the product).

I am just so happy with this product i can't even tell you. A tiny bit goes a long way! it's just fabulous.

along with my cute jar of miracle cream, came this beautiful pink powder. It is the La Conchita Naturals

Sprinkling Clean - Rose - Natural Face Wash, Exfoliant and Mask.

This is a dry cleanser that you add water to and make a paste of it in your hand. then use it to cleanse to let it set as a mask on your face. It smells wonderfully of oatmeal and rosewater. It is effective and gentle and lovely all at the same time. It may seem strange to have a cleanser that comes in powder form, but it lasts longer and you can customize how wet or dry you need it depending on the day. It takes off makeup with no problem and exfoliation occurs with every wash in a gentle manner, no stripping or abrasiveness. It leaves the skin soft and balanced.

speaking of balancing, another little gem of a freebie was also included..

Jasmine Green Tea - Antioxidant Skin Toner with Organic Aloe Vera

This balancer had a strong scent for me but it does dissipates rather quickly. The toner is great and moisturizes as well. According to the product description:
This All Natural Toner is the perfect way to infuse your skin with 5 powerful antioxidant-rich botanical extracts while removing nasty residue, tightening pores and toning skin! In a base of Jasmine Hydrosol and Organic Aloe it even helps soothe and hydrate skin in preparation for your moisturizer—and it has a light, wonderful scent of pure jasmine essence.

I used this after washing my face and my face felt even softer, even my hubby made a comment on it. I have to say it's a keeper.

La Conchita Naturals is a company that really knows it's stuff. Based in Cotati, CA, creator Conchita really cares about what she puts into each and every single product. Handmade for her is the way to go. Along with quality of ingredients. She has a shop both on Etsy and Artfire.com. I highly recommend her to anybody looking for quality natural skincare. I look forward to purchasing her night cream next and writing a great review on it. It's wonderful to find a greta moisturizer at a price that is affordable and to find a product that is of quality.

My skin thanks you Conchita! Yay!

mark Magalog #4 April 2010 check it out!

2010-03-27T07:36:00.001-07:00

April is upon us! That means the new mark. Magalog is going to debut! so in anticipation of that fact, i'm posting a sneak peak of the new magalog. This magalog officially runs from March 30th to April 27th. If you'd to place an order email me or shop my eBoutique.

Shop My store http://www.mymarkstore.com/creedy

Magalog #4 April 2010 Click on the cover to experience the new magalog online!

Here are some previews pages:

Bring out that cat eye!

To see the complete magalog click on the cover page above.
Order at My mark. Store
http://www.mymarkstore.com/creedy

A Tweezer is a Tweezer is Tweezer!

2010-03-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at Sephora a while back and saw the display for the Anastacia . While i was looking at the stencils for eyebrows and the cute products, one caught my eye, the tweezers. Well why not, the woman who has been on Oprah, does the brows of J-Lo, and countless other movie stars has got to put out a really cool tweezers.

According to the Sephora website, the product is described as:

Crafted from the highest quality steel with custom-slanted top and calibrated tension, this professional must-have tool handles even the finest hairs with ease.

For $28 this should be an awesome tweezer.

However, this did not catch my eye because it's Anastacia's Tweezer but because it looked remarkably similar to my tweezers at home by Earth Theraputics. The Pink SoftTouch tweezers. The Earth Theraputics tweezer retails for $9.99 on most sites but I found it at Marshalls for $3.99!

ET describes the tweezer as: Earth Therapeutics SofTouch™ tweezers are professional quality. The body of the SofTouch™ tweezer is lined with a special coating that is velvety soft to the touch, yet ensures a non-slip secure grip for perfect and precise tweezing. The tweezer tips are hand-filed, perfectly aligned and rigorously tested for exacting accuracy.

It's a great tweezer! I really love it and my sister who is very into the brow grooming thing was amazed at it and the price i paid. It has a soft feel to the hand grip and the tip is quite accurate at plucking my brows.

So for about $24.01 less than the official Anastacia brand, you can get the same tweezer for way less at drugstore.com and Amazon which has a Two pack for just under $10. That would make a great gift for a friend ad you get to keep one as well and it's less than $5 each tweezer.

I understand that having a great tweezer is essential especially just to keep up between waxing or threading sessions, however when you have the opportunity to get a great tweezer for a fraction of the cost. This is just way too good to pass up. Ladies save your money and purchase the same tweezer at a less price. you won't be unhappy. Shop on ladies!

Strawberries!

2010-03-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

Strawberries are my fave fruit on the planet. My mom said when we lived in California that we'd go out to the strawberry patches and buy them fresh from the growers. Going home with Strawberries my parents had to buy me my own case because I'd go through it on the way back to Ft. Irwin. Mind you I was only 3. Well almost 27 years later it is still my fave fruit when market prices are great and they are from California.

So my post today will have some awesome recipes and jewelry that is strawberry themed.

The fragrantly sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal; it is no wonder they are the most popular berry fruit in the world. Although strawberries have become increasingly available year-round, they are at the peak of their season from April through July when they are the most delicious and most abundant.

While there are more than 600 varieties of strawberries that differ in flavor, size and texture, one can usually identify a strawberry by its red flesh that has yellow seeds piercing its surface, and the small, regal, green leafy cap and stem that adorn its crown. In addition to strawberries that are cultivated, there are also varieties that grow wild. These are much smaller in size, but feature a more intense flavor.

Recipes:

Strawberry Tiramisu for 2

Ingredients

1 pint fresh strawberries
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
18 ladyfingers
1/3 cup chilled espresso
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Cut off the tops of the strawberries and slice the berries. Reserve 2 large whole berries for garnish.
In a blender, place 2 cups of strawberries and 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar; blend to puree and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, 1/4 cup cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and liqueur; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until thickened.
Place 6 ladyfingers on a serving plate and brush each with approximately 1 teaspoon cold espresso coffee. Spread or pipe out 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers, and layer with half of the sliced strawberries.
Repeat with the next 6 ladyfingers, espresso, remaining cheese mixture, and sliced strawberries; top with remaining 6 ladyfingers.
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until just whipped, approximately 1 minute. Spread cream evenly over top layer of ladyfingers.
Dust cocoa over whipped cream, and garnish with 2 reserved strawberries. Pour strawberry puree onto two serving plates. Cut tiramisu in half, and place onto puree.

Recipe: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Found this recipe on the blog One Ordinary Day it's really great!

4-6 lemons, enough to equal 1 cup of lemon juice

1-1 1/2 c. simple syrup (recipe follows)

16 oz. container of strawberries, cleaned and hulled

1 quart sparkling water

mint to garnish (I just used small strawberries for garnish.)

Juice the lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice. Blend the strawberries and 1/2 c. of the simple syrup in a blender or with an immersion blender, until smooth. Strain to remove the seeds. Pour lemon juice, strawberry puree, 1/2 c. simple syrup, and sparkling water into a pitcher. Add more simple syrup if needed to achieve the sweetness you like. Add ice and chill.

Recipe: Simple Syrup

(I only used 1 c. of simple syrup for my pitcher of lemonade. If you want it more sweet than tart, use 3/4 c. sugar to 3/4 c. water and add it all.)

1 part sugar to 1 part water

Combine sugar and warm water. Stir to dissolve sugar. (This can also be done on t

he stovetop, but I found this was faster and easier.)

My love of strawberries extends into my wardrobe sometimes. I have a Vintage Sarah COVENTRY Strawberry Ice Silver tone Brooch. That I found on ebay. It's so cute to add to a dress or hat. It is just too cute.

My cup raneth over when i found a pair of D'Orsay style heels with strawberries on the toe. They are so one of my ultimate faves.

I just find them lovely.

Finally a throw back to 1983 i found this pic on photobucket. This is the tricycle i had when i was three! However i think mine was all red.

A Strawberry Shortcake Trike! I remember there was a big wheel gang and i had my trike! it was awesome times! up and down the block all day.

As we move into Spring i look forward to excellent Strawberries in all the foodie forms chefs and home cooks can think of. In salads, on shortcake, Ina Garten's strawberry country cake, Paula Deen's Strawberry cake, and just plain with fresh heavy cream and vanilla. One of God's greatest creations..The Strawberry!

mark in Lucky Magazine

2010-03-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Okay doing research for mark. I found this article in Lucky magazine.

Lauren Conrad celebrity, fashion designer and spokeswoman for mark., lends a hand against domestic violence. The movement call m.powerment notes that girls ages 16-24 experience the highest percentage of partner domestic violence. To aid this cause against domestic violence Lauren Conrad and mark. offer a selection of jewelry and makeup with 100% of the proceeds going to m.powerment efforts.

All the items in this campaign are under $30. an affordable way to help a wonderful cause and look fashionable all at the same time.

Visit my mark. store under the link m.powerment to take contribute to the fight against domestic violence.

trying out new workout videos

2010-03-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

Okay so since i'm prego now with the second kiddo. I wan to keep working out. alot of the prego videos out there are entirely too touchy feely for me. I very much understand a new life is growing in me and that it's a miracle, however between that and sounds of gongs or flowing water (which increases the need to pause and RUN for the restroom), It's way to calm for me and not what i need.

I already go on base and do Zumba twice a week. to help keep the cardio up. so much fun. I wonder what it's going to be like when i'm larger...lol But yeah so i went to amazon and got two DVDs used.

I got 10 Minute Solution Prenatal Pilates with Lizbeth Garcia. It has 5- 10 minute routines to help during all stages of pregnancy. I was really excited to see an instructor who did not look like a stick with a large beach ball in front. Garcia is strong and lovely. He instruction is clear and best of allit flows without the wishy-washiness. Tonight i did 2 workouts: the Standing Pilates and the core pilates. My abs are feeling it but in a good way. I felt as though this is something I can stick with. Garcia is 36 weeks along in her first pregnancy at the time.

There are 3 other workouts i will get to in the next couple of days: Pilates for buns and thighs, Pilates for flexibility and total body pilates. It's gentle and invigorating. Using light weight feels good but i will eventually have to move up. i know i can make it more difficult for me by incorporating my resistance tubing.

I really like the attention she pays to strengthening and stretching the lower back. OMG did that feel wonderful. My lower back has been killing me since i stopped traditional weight lifting and this is very much helping ease the pain and get me back to little to no pain. The ab work is fantastic with the aid of pillows to help cushion the lower back and keep me elevated and baby safe. The movements are fluid and gently strengthen. Taking the traditional pilates moves and just modifying them to fit the changing landscape that is my body.

I look forward to completing the workouts and keeping this one in my collection as my kiddo grows and my body changes.

Next review will be of Tracey Mallett's Pregnancy System 3in1. I have the book coming in on ILL so i will do a book review and a DVD review. Looking forward to it.

Meet Mark

2010-03-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

Okay in my love for makeup and jewelry I have decided to join the mark team. The makeup is trendy and very cute. The skincare is affordable and the jewelry is very stylish. Most important it's very budget friendly.

I just signed up today for only $20. They are mailing my start up kit and it comes with makeup, skin care, magalogs (catalogs) and a get started manual. Along with the $20 price I got a free eboutique! That is a biggie since with other companies it costs to have a website up to almost $200 a year.

I hope this endeavor will help me make some extra cash while providing customers with cute makeup and jewelry. If you'd like to check out my shop click on the pink mark Logo. If you have any questions let me know i will be more than happy to answer them.

My fave item right now is the Vintage Bloom Ring. It's so cute and come in two colors Nude and seafoam. This a great statement ring for a cocktail party or just to wear with jeans. The throw back to old glamour is huge now and this is the prefect peice to start a collection.
Check out my store at: http://creedy.mymarkstore.com/
Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Alice in wonderland

2010-02-02T07:13:00.001-08:00

With the New movie Alice in wonderland set to hit theaters in March 2010,(you know the one with Johnny Depp..nuff said..anyways..) there are tons of new items on the market with an Alice theme.
I am so excited because it's always been a favorite of mine.

Let's start with the new movie itself, i love the posters coming out and movie art has always been an interest of mine. I find the artwork sometimes to be better than the trailers.

Here is fave #1
I lie this full cast poster a lot. It is set in the rose garden and the line "We're all mad here." is just wonderful. Each character does appear as though they are in their own little bubble which is great. It's dark the way a Tim Burton film i usually presented but reminds me of the child's book at the same time.

Fave poster #2

It's a Tea Party! What little girl doesn't or didn't like tea parties. I remember having them with mom and dad. Invisible tea or water for those advanced and trusted little girls. Tea parties are the best. My 3 year old daughter currently enjoys all things tea party. She has a lovely set up and I must say my hubby has had quite his fill of imaginary cakes, cookies and very sweet tea (12 lumps Daddy?).

This poster has the Caterpillar in it which for me was always the mysterious character that i was trying to figure out. It's bright it's kind of a throw back tot he traditional drawings of the original Alice in Wonderland book. I love how it has open seats invite the viewer to sit and join the mad tea party. Make sure you have a clean cup and know some riddles.

Fave poster #3

Now I've seen a few different versions of this ..this is a triptych. According to dictionary.com the definition of a triptych is "a set of three panels or compartments side by side, bearing pictures, carvings, or the like." This has been broken up into 3 separate movie posters if you do a Google image search for "alice in wonderland 2010 posters." Each poster is unique and grabs the audience immediately, but standing all together it makes for a truly stunning work of art. Stil youthful, but mysterious at the same time. here you can infer more of the storyline and see some of the different locations the movie will take Alice.

Promotional items:

Okay one that grabbed me right away was the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland eyeshadow Palette at Sephora. It looks like a little dark jewelry box. The colors are stunning and the artwork inside the box surrounding the mirror takes my breath away. It also comes with eye eyeliners and a mini UDPP. So very grown-up but reminiscent of a little girls jewelry box. At $52 it's a whimsical investment. Sephora store are also hosting an Alice in wonderland make-over party I signed up and hope to have a ton of fun. It's on February 20th. check your local Sephora store for details.

O.P.I. is another company with a taste for the maddness! When you go to their site they have a full page ad for the new nail lacquers inspired by the movie. My fave of this set is "Off with Her Red!" There is also a contest they are running witha grand prize of a JCP salon gift card and the entire set of Alice in Wonderland inspired nail Lacquers.

This is just so cool from Tetley Teas Canada. They are having a Mad Hatter Tea Party contest. The prize is amazing including everything you need to throw a grand tea party and watch Tv in style with a brand new Panasonic system.

Books to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme:

Check your local library for these entertaining books.

I love these books by Frank Beddor. He too is trying to make them into a movie series but with Burton's film out who knows where this is going. However the books are FAbulous! The series is called The Looking Glass Wars. It is the true story of what really happened to Alyss Heart of Wonderland. According to this series Carroll got everything wrong. It's an adventure series filled with really cool elements and unforgettable characters who are both familiar and very different from the Carroll version of Wonderland.

The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

by Lewis Carroll is a compendium of information straight from the author and lets the reader in on the nuances of Victorian jokes, lifestyle and jargon so that one can better understand the novel he wrote. The book itself is a decadent addition to any library. It's strong red cover with intricate edging detailing just makes the fingers itch to open it and dive into the world of Alice.

I hope this has you excited to see the movie and dive into wonderland. I know I am!

Until next time!

Shoes shoes shoes

2009-12-07T14:08:00.001-08:00

Okay so it's been a while since i have last posted. However i think this is worth the wait. I have forgotten to list my love of shoes in my about me stuff, however that will be mended.

Here are some cute shoes i have purchased recently. They are to celebrate weight loss and just take up beautiful space in my closet.

let's start with a basic: Mary Janes. The picture below is the J Crew version of my heeled MJs. They are high and shiny and wonderful. Mine are by Delicious and they are called Shiny. I got them for about $20 with shipping on ebay. Yes that's right - a total of $20.
The object with the shoes that i am showing is to just lengthen my legs and celebrate me getting back to my shape. The shoes are fun and sassy. Uber high and almost put me at eye level with my hubby, which is neat.

Pair #2

This is by Paprika (An inexpensive brand, but they come out with cool stuff all the time). I paid with shipping a total of $23 for these on ..yes again Ebay. They are called Saco and are in gunmetal. I don't think this picture does justice to these elegant and tough looking heels. It makes them look short and stubby, when they are long and slender. They make legs look miles long. Doing heels with studs is a new thing for me, as i love ruffles and buckles or just a pain shoe, however i wanted to try something new and Saco fit the bill perfectly.

Now for my fave of the new additions to my shoe collection: (in transit right now)

This is a double platform pump in satin. Gorgeous red satin. Take a look at that sexy lil ruffle. It is just to die for! I have a Sally Hansen nail polish that is the exact same shade. Now this one was a bit more expensive but i belive so worth it @ $42 including shipping. On ...ta dah Ebay! The heel is an extreme 5" the platform is 2". All i can say is wow and double wow.

So what am I wearing for the holidays? These lovely jewels:

These lovely leather Caparros call Dux are just stunning. At $28 on Ebay a steal (MSRP $75)! They will go perfectly with my purple holiday dress and any other dress i may need to go out dancign and partying. A littl elower with a 4 inch heel but none the less sexy and stylish. On ebay Show Metro was the seller and i love thier bargains! The bling on the toe is just enough but not over the top. Tip: did you know that Capparos is woman owned by a Boricua ( Puerto Rican)? Yes it is! Great US company.

It has been a great time for shoe shopping and I hope you all have found your holiday shoes. I'd love to see them. Merry Christmas!

Manor Hall Soap Company ..More fun with Soap

2009-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

After having success with Manor Hall Soap Company's Natural shampoo for dry Hair, I have made another purchase and i have to say I'm growing in my love for this company!

Got another Sulfate free shampoo for Dry Hair which is great stuff for those with risos (curls). A little bit goes along way and this hydrates like nothing else because it has olive oil in it and coconut oil ( my faves!) For hair that is when completely wet goes between my shoulder blades, I use about a nickel to just under a quarter size size of product to get all soapy and clean. My hair feels like it is clean and hydrated. Lather is enough for all of you who love bubbles. The smell of geranium, rosewood and peppermint essential oils leaves my hair smelling great. It's not overly flowery or too heavy which is fabulous!

I also got The Classic Soap Sampler. These lovely little gems are delectible.
here is the description from the website:
This sampler stack is a great way to try a few different flavors of Manor Hall natural olive oil soap. All four are tied together, and topped off with a Manor Hall hang tag. Makes a great gift for yourself, and is also an ideal way to introduce someone you know to the wonderful feeling of Manor Hall natural olive oil soap. Flavors vary by availability.

Each bar weighs approximately one ounce. Each stack is weighed before they are sleeved, and together will always total 3.5 to 4 ounces or above.

The flavors i got are:

Ohh La Lavender & oatmeal
Almond Sunset
Spearmint Grapefruit
Orange Tree Blast

The neatly packaged soaps are great sizes for travel and are a treat for the body and senses. The combined smell is amazing. If i ever get a chance to go tot the Massachusetts I so want to walk in to smell the wonderful scents of Manor Hall. These are natural oilve oil soaps and theya rea all made in small batches. Attention to detail, care and love for product is what MHSC is all about.

These soaps left my hands feeling soft and clean without the dryness of conventional soaps you pick up at the grocery store. My hands have ascent but not over powering just a light clean scent of whichever soap i used. Lovely. These soap samplers are perfect for gifts and for little hands. My daughter was able to handle it perfectly without dropping it or it slipping out of her hands ( she'll be 3 in Dec). That made the sampler 100% worth it right there.

The Classic Sampler set is $7.35 and wold be a greta stocking stuffer or gift to introduce MHSC to any friend.

I also got the Carrot & Fennel Seed Complexion Bar. This 3.5 ounce bar is a wonderful miracle. leave my face hydrated clean and again..Fabulous! Doesn't dry or leave my skin overly tight. Just the right amount of everything. At $5.85 this is a steal!

As a bonus with my order I got as my Order Box Freebie (they usually have a freebie with any order) A Full size Honey Me Smooth Soap Bar. Again a full size is 3.5 ounces.

here is the description:
This kind and gentle honey almond soap bar contains the moisturizing protection of real honey and the rich softness of replenishing almond meal.

Honey is a natural humectant, grabbing and holding on to moisture while its antioxidants protect. Smoothing and softening, almond meal is gentle and non-irritating. It helps reduce inflammation, replenishing essential skin oils lost through cleansing.

This soap bar feels wonderful to use, leaving behind a rich barrier of velvet softness to ease and protect your dry or sensitive skin.

FABULOUSCITY! -nuff said

My other little bonus was a sample of the Deep Conditiong Creme. Featuring Shea Butter and jojoba oil. Used as a conditioning treatment pre-shampoo this little gem is thick and penetrating. If you use gel and product in your hair like i do daily i would rinse it out and lay in the creme and set with a warm towel. This is potent stuff. My daughter had frizzy risos and i just lightly rubbed my figer tip over the product and tried it on her Virgin hair. Let me say that her curls were shiney and soft and like moisture never hit them in the wrong way. The scent is pretty and I have found the company to take care of my baby's hair once we get out of the tear free stage. Thank You Manor Hall. For myself i know this will be a great at home luxurious spa treatment for my hair..now to make the time..hmmm...

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about Manor Hall Soap company and will give them a try. I promise youthey will not dissapoint!

Ciao for now!

New bracelet!

2009-10-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Creativity continues to flow. I have a new bracelet i made ( actually had materials to make 2 of them). I call is Alma de Tierra because it has these beautiful faceted turquoise beads and these cool Capri Gold Czech glass beads to compliment them.

I just put them up in my Artfire store. Even thought he beads say they are gold in color it looks more like a high shine copper...almost like copper foil. Delicate against the strong turquoise beads which look great faceted. I hav a thing for faceted beads they just have such great dimesnion and i LOVE the way they catch light.

Still Trying to close up the necklace in progress and i need to get some suede cord for the turqouise pendant i have. If it seems like i'm a bit turqouise obsessed..yes i am. I do plan on moving on eventually out of my Turquoise Phase if you will.

The turqouise is more blue because of copper present in the vien wher eit was extracted. when turqouise is more green the more Iron is present in the rock surrounding it. I happen to love Turqouise in all it's forms and colors. which is why I create with it so much. Being inthe southwest there is a definete market for it and I just love how it looks on all skin types. Will post more jewelry when it's created. Until next time!

Buff'd Cosmetics Samples

2009-10-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

As part of a campaign to promote the Buff'd Cosmetics products I have requested samples from Buff'd when they emailed their followers that they needed bloggers to review some products. Being a fan already I happily accepted the challenge.

Buff'd is a company out of Canada and has a high standard of product and customer care. It's why this Texas gal loves to order from them. I have blogged about them before with glowing reviews which you can read. See May and July on the right side bar for previous posts.

My package came with foundation, finishing powder, a bronzer, Illuminating Dust, blush, eyeshadow and eyeliner (10 samples in all). A little something from each department. I love the Buff'd foundations. The original Formula works great on me. I have oily skin and i have no need to go for a more intense coverage formulation. It's great at keeping oils at bay and doesn't feel heavy or cakey. Here is info straight from their Foundation portion of their website:

mineral foundation

Formulated using only the finest natural minerals and pigments, Buff'd Mineral Foundations have outstanding versatility and wear. Available in an extensive collection of shades and three outstanding formulations, a minimal amount of product will help you achieve a flawless, radiant look while natural UV protection guards your skin. As with all our products, Buff'd Mineral Foundations are free of irritating and toxic ingredients which may be damaging to some skin types.

The Kabuki, Jumbo Buffer and Jumbo Flat Top brushes are perfect for applying these loose-mineral powders.

Available in three outstanding formulations:

original: a great full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines

light: specifically for those who prefer a lightweight foundation that still offers buildable coverage and great oil absorption. ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

concealing: made with a touch of kaolin clay offering even better coverage with greater oil absorption. Ideal for those with combination to oily skin and a great spot concealer. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, kaolin clay, mica, ultramarines

My Colors for the year are Apricot and Pecan. Pecan for when i have more of a tan going on and Apricot for the winter season. They are just wonderful and at $18, 21grams volume in a 10gram weight sifter jar is just perfect. This foundation lasts all day and i do mean all day i have worn it from 8:30 am to 2am with no problems and even forget it's on.

The finishing powder in Peony is great for those days that i really need staying power and a flawless finish without drying out. I use this more in the winter when my skin tends to get a little dry. At $15 for th full size it's a great investment powder. The generous sample baggies are also great if you are strapped for cash.

The Bronzer in Toast is fabulous. It has a wonderful shimmer to it and make me think of the beach. i use it to conture and make me look a little thinner in the cheeks. also for a pick me up if my skin is just looking blah that day. A little goes a long way. The full size is $15 and picture on the website make it look darker than it truly is so order the sample bag to test out the shades. If you are confused but know your foundation shade the staff is more than willing to help you color match for a flawless set of colors appropriate to your coloring.

On to the eyeshadows and blush...the really fun stuff:

The Blushes: Thrift and Bouquet.

Thrift is one of my faves. It is a bronzy pink and just gives the apples that just kissed look. It makes me very happy and is great a a light pink blush when doing a smokey eye. Very little is required to give you that glowing look.

Bouquet is a light pink that i love to use as well. It's that color that reminds me of a soft pink rose and that is what you get on the cheek. Very classic looking but with enough shimmer to be modern.

The blushes cost: $15
full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Illuminating dust:

Think of this as an allover product that gives you that extra glow with your look. Canvas has high shimmer but is extremely subtle when used with a light hand. The site says it's a soft and luminous off white and that it is. Another make you happy on a cloudy day product.

The full size Illuminating dust costs: $15

full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Eyeshadows:

Scribe: Blue Base in the Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

Great base color, goes on light and opens the eye nicely.
very soft and easy to put on.

Denim: Cool medium blue with silver shimmer. Blue Crease in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection. This one looks more grey than blue in the baggie but on the brush you can see the blue properties of the shadow. it was great for the smokey eye look i was building.

Nova: a Mineral Eyeliner. Midnight slate blue with silver blue shimmer. Blue Liner in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

I used it as a crease color and it worked wonderfully. I love how it looks like my dark jeans that i wear all the time. The look was very pretty and soft for a smokey eye.

I am in love with this company and shipping for samples is free. Shipping to Texas takes about 2 weeks but i am very happy with service and all the products i have purchased so far. I hope to see more from this growing company in the future as they have me with their uber fabulous foundation and now going into blush and eyeshadow.

Check them out at: http://www.buffd.com

New items for Fundraiser and store

2009-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Having my beads come in from the mail is always exciting it gets the design jucies and creativity flowing. I just get inspired.

I was able to create quite a bit of jewelry. some going to a silent auction fundraiser for the school attached to my church, and from that i have new items to put in my store as well because they are reproducible.

First up: Cherries in the Snow
This set of earrings has Czech glass in clear aurora borealis and a dark cherry red. I've always loved the idea of red on snow or when you get shaved ice and the first drops of cherry red syrup hit the serene white canvas of ice. and that is what inspired me for this set of earrings. what i love is youcan give them a shake and the "Cherries" end up in different spots so you never have the same look twice. Set on silver chain it's just a fun set of earrings.

Icicles
This is a simple and elegant pair of earrings. The silver wire was hand shaped and there is just a bit of lovely sparkle with the Swarovski bicone at the end of the wire. I love this because it reminds me of wavy hair. It also reminds me of what an icicle looks like when the sunlight hits it for the first time. Shiny, delicate and serene. The great thing about these is that they are easy to customize. so going to be a staple at A Different Shade of Me.

Got a few bracelets done. I seem to be on a natural gemstone thing as well, because a lot of these pieces have natural stones. They are truly lovely.

This bracelet is called Calming Copper.
I really like the chocolate button pearls used in this bracelet. The copper freshwater pearls are warming to the skin and great for any skintone. The Turquoise nuggets are a calming shade of green turquoise with brown in there that is just earthy and soothing to look at. I often find myself staring and looking at the crevasess and the patterns on each nugget and marvel at how time and pressure created this beautiful component to my bracelet.

This Bracelet I made for the fundraiser and it's called Cool Moss.

The green jasper is dark and moody. Been experimenting with chain and i love the delicate look it has with the beads and that it's asymmetrical. It even has a lime green pearl that is just bright and delicate looking against the earthy green of the Jasper. It's just lovely.

Industrial Waves Earrings

These earrings are just so neat. I'm sorry the pic isn't more clear. I forgot to take them out while i was outside. I was in a rush to drop off the fundraiser items (of which this is one). The hand forged copper teardrops are from England and the pearls are a gorgeous blue. You see the rocky texture of the back but the other side has this very smooth side that is just like blue steel. The contrast is just wonderful.

I do have one more bracelet t that i completed but the sun went down before i could move it due to the glue. Can't wait to post about it tomorrow.

Also making a birthday present for a friend and she wants something in fuchsia and black. This great that I'm getting so inspired and creative. I look forward to making more and sharing more with you all.

Creativity abounding

2009-09-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

New necklace in the works. Don't even know the name of it yet. It stared as a matching piece to the Tears of Joy earrings but it's something else or it could go with it bu hmmm you decide.

Right now it's just a work in progress.

First pic is a not so good shot of the center drop beautiful faceted glass and an aquamarine Swarovski bead on Sterling silver wire. With glass pearls in cream.
Next up the stage right of the necklace with Czech glass oblong bead amoung the creamy pearls.

Lastly, the stage left of the necklace, variegated sizes of pearls with a Swarovski aquamarine bicone. It's just lovely.

Just bought a clasp off etsy to go with the necklace and i'm sure it will turn out to be just marvelous.

Work in progress...will post final pictures when the necklace is finally arranged.

Creating new items

2009-09-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Very much on a turquoise and copper feel this week.

I'm calling the earrings and bracelet: Good Earth
I've got copper potato pearls and chocolate flat pearls with turquoise chunky beads. I have order the toggle claps and the beadalon copper wire to string it along with crimp tubes and all that jazz to finish it out.

Simple matching earrings with a turquoise bead and copper pearl. Simple but stunning. (will post earrings later)

Also made some gorgeous drop earrings I call them: Take the Plunge

They sit on silver chain 2.5 inches long and the faceted glass cubes are delicate, yet striking. This can be customized as well to any color. It looks like beautiful ice.

I also have a few ribbon bookmarks that are pretty.

Gilded Age
I love the dark copper beads and the gold tone carved bead. Great for any guy who wants to add some masculine bling to their book.

This one is called: Feelin' 80's. The shocking turquoise of the 80's is lovingly reflected here with pink ribbon and black beads. This would be great for any child of the 80's or any little girl with a good book. It's one of my daughter's favorites.

happiness!

Manor Hall Soap Company Review

2009-09-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

I love trying new products. especially from small companies that are family based. What a treat it is to purchase a product that is overseen with love and care. that is the impression you get from Manor Hall Soap Company.

Founded in 2004 and out of Massachusetts, Manor Hall Soap Company strives to provide their customers with soaps and skincare that is free of sulfates and parabens. They are a vegetarian company that strives to use plant based ingredients in their products.

Found them on a blog and they were having a major sale at the tiem so i decided it would be a great time to try some products.

I purchased the Natural Face Mask - Yogurt & Green Clay 4 oz jar, and the Natural Sulfate Free Shampoo - 8 fl oz For Dry Hair.

They were on sale so they were each about $2 cheaper than the regular price. My package came expediently and with free goodies..I got the Beam Me Up Spotty olive oil soap and a silver glittery nail brush.

The mask is great! I love that it is in powder form and i add water to it to make it a nice consistency for my face. That way i can go as heavy or as thin as i wish. The smell is like any clay mask and dries in under 10 min.

Wash off with warm water then follow up with a toner and my skin just feels great like a face lift. It's difficult to find a great mask for oily skin that doesn't break me out or dry meout later. This is great stuff. Highly recommend it for anyone iwth oily or acne prone skin.

The next item i bought the shampoo for dry hair. Packaged very nicely and the ingredients are simple:
Saponified oils of coconut and olive, glycerine, oleic acid and essential oils of geranium, peppermint and rosewood

This shampoo is wonderful my hair is hydrated. A little goes a long way and if you have curly hair like me it can weigh curls down if you use too much.

hair was hydrated and silky smooth. Happiness!

The soap bar, smelled heavenly. I could smell it when I opened my package.

Haven't used it yet but i plan to when i go to visit my parents late this month.

Overall experience with this company has been great. I look forward to making another purchase.

Artfire.com Store

2009-09-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

I have entered the world of handmade crafts!

My new store on Artfire.com is sweet! Need a logo to be done but that is not difficult. My store name is going to be A Different Shade of Me. My colors will be Raspberry and a dark purple and gold. Lovin' it! The name is inspired by all the different ways a woman can choose to change her look. Since i do that with color a lot, i wanted to incorproate that and came up with shades of color and then the light bubl inmy head became ever so bright and the name to my store was born. why the choice of "Me" instead of "you"? I wanted to make it personal. Different Shades of You is like looking at the woman and it seemed so impersonal while A Different Shade of Me make it personal, like the product could reflect any mood at any given moment. So if i want to be elegant today there would be soemthing in my store to fit that shade or persona of a client. If she wants to reveal her bold side, then there would be soemthing to reflect that shade of her peronality. It's just wonderful.

I've already got items up and am planning to create some more. I also take custom orders for those who want soemthing unique or woudl like an item in a specific color to suit thier shade or desire of the moment or occassion ( like a wedding, quinceanera, sweet 16 etc) Stop by take a look and if anything fits your shade, make a purchase.

Better Pictures & Bookmarks

2009-08-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Learning to take better pictures and taking advantage of the Texas sunlight is a very good thing. Big bonus is i do not have to purchase a light box and all that jazz yet.

so here are a few bookmarks I've made and i know I've posted a few of them already but, i think the photographing is better this time around.

Decided to call this on Blue Midnight. It has Black Onyx faceted beads and a aquamarine Swarovski Bicone bead with Daisy Spacers. I love the way the trees are reflected in the silver bookmark.

This one is by far my fave. Love the filigree metal bead and the colors used. Have a thing for the olive color family it seems. The name of this bookmark is simply Butterfly.

This bookmark just has charm. The sweet color palette inspired the name of Sweet Love. It has quite an innocence about it and is soothing.

I so need to retake photos of my ribbon bookmarks and decade rosaries. Can't wait to share them.
Fun!

Bead Swap August 2009 Part 2

2009-08-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Okay the Bracelet and matchign earrings are finished!

Thank you to Cathy Dailey of CathyDailey's Handcrafted Artisan Findings for the wonderful Hammered Links and the S clasp. Will so order more, my mom wants me to recreate this bracelet set for her.

Here they are:

This experience has been wonderful. I enjoyed creating and making this bracelet and then had to make earrings.

Tropical rainforest, with colors that can go into fall and winter seamlessly. They would so look great with jeans and a cute top (See previous post to see the inspiring plants that helped make this creation possible.). Could een go with a simple black dress.

Getting better at Photo editing and lighting. These were taken outside and i just love the pictures. So happy with the results. This rekindled my passion for creating jewelry. Hope to open my own Etsy or Artfire.com store.

Beadswap August 2009

2009-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

This month i joined a beadswap in the Yahoo group i belong to. The group is called Beadingaholics.
Beadingaholics is a support group for anyone addicted to beading, stringing, wire working, PMC jewellry, Polymer clay, wire crochet knitting, chain maille, gemstones, seed beads, lampwork, all other types of sparkling jewellery adornments. Our family of friends is always here to help you with any problems you might be having, lend advice creativity, to help you develop your craving for more beads beautiful jewelry!

The theme is Tropical Rainforest. I had been looking for pictures that would take into consideration the coming fall trends so that the bracelet could be worn for months to come. so i considered the rainforest in the Northwestern US and did find some promising pictures but could not find beads or the right inspiration to compliment my vision.

I had gone with a sketch of something that had bright tropical colors out of frustration and even purchased $20 worth of matierals to compelte the multi-strand bracelet. Still, not happy with what I had.

So to my bead stash i fly. I had these huge almost 30mm long acrylic beads that were just sitting in my bead box. There was start of my inspiration.. Pulling ovlie beads and jade and pearls and faceted glass beads and some new metal beads this is what resulted:

I have my acrylic beads then lemon faceted jade, purple peacock pearls, olive Czech glass, Silvertone Hibiscus bead.

Then it slightly changes to accomidate a more opaque acrylic bead with gold shimmer in it.

The bead at the most left is the the change but it's beautiful. It also makes the skin kinda glow.

my inspiration was these pictures i found of a terrarium on this orchid forum i stumbled on to:

OrchidBroad

Here are the 3 pictures i took great inspiration from:

This was just a burst of inspiration and i'm so glad i could use beads i already ahd. now i just need to string and get a clasp.

Bling accomplished! will post finished product soon!

Moiturizer for oily skin search Part I

2009-08-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

On the quest to look for a moisturizer that works for my skin and helps me to not breakout when that does happen has been a challenge with the triple digit heat here in San Antonio I do not want to look shiny or feel my skin producing excess oils.

So i'm trying two moisturizers:

1. Arbonne FC5 Oil Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20 Retail value: $39.50 1.7 oz

2. Sephora FACE Hydrating Balancing Cream - Combination To Oily Skin: $18(online) $12(in-store)
1.69 oz

Yes even oily skin need moisture. However the quest to find a moisturizer that does what it claims is the challenge no matter what your skin type.

I choose these two brands based on my track record with both companies. Arbonne has had wonderful products that my mother uses religiously and that i love to use on occasion. The Hybrids Vitamin punch is great for my daughter and the mens line i so want my hubby to use. I still get the 35% discount and used it to purchase the Day Lotion at less than the $39.50 price tag.

The Sephora face brand saved my face when my skin dried out in the winter. Their dry skin line was perfect for my first experience with dry skina fter being oily for years. Now that the hot weather has finally caught up with my face, i have had to use a different moisturizer with little sucess much to my and my skin's dismay.

Claims:

Arbonne claims this moiturizer is oil free and helps to absorb moisture has antioxidants and has SPF 20 to fight the sun's harmful rays while leavign the skin with a fresh matte appearance.

Sephora Face claims their hydrating balancing cream is tripel action: hydrates, regulates oil production and help future breakouts.

Arbonne is vegan and forulated thsi moisturizer without: Parabens,m Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, Diethanolamine, or Anima-Derived Ingredients. Key Ingredients: Fresh kiwi cells; Matte Fresh Complex of mallow, melissa, watercress, ivy; grapeseed oil, pomegranate extract, vitamins A and E

Sephora: has white clay, zinc, vitamin b-5, however it has parabens. No mineral oil which is great.
-White Clay: Absorbs excess sebum and impurities.
-Zinc: Regulates sebum.
-Vitamin E: Antioxidant.
-Glycerin: Prevents skin dryness.
-Pro-Vitamin B5: Nourishing, softening, and anti-inflammatory.

Aroma:
Arbonne: Pleasant fruity smell though does smell a little like suntan loition.

Sephora: Fresh smell that is light.

Texture and absorption:

Arbonne had a light slippery feel a little like suntan lotion but thinner. The product comes out throught the use of a samll pump and it is a perfect amount for the face. It absorbed into my skin very quickly, lef my skin soft and matte just as the claim goes.

Sephora in a plain tube had great smooth texture and was thin as well. It absorbed into my skin more quickly than the Arbonne product.

Staying power:

Arbonne left my skin feeling hydrated longer while the sephora as soft but not as soft as the Arbonne product. I am sititng here petting my hand withthe arbonne cream on it b/c it's so soft.

Field testing into the Texas Heat is the next test. I need a week with each product to give it a full go. so this posting will have to have a Part II.

If you have used any of the two let me know. If you'd liek to purchase Arboonee with a 35% discount let me know and i can tell you how to get it.

If you haven't signed up for the Beauty Insider card with sephora you need to get it! Rack up points and get exlusive full sized samples. How cool is that!

OPI Espana Collection Fall 2009

2009-08-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Bling for my nails is expressed in beautiful shades of nail lacquer.

This fall the collection that has caught my attention is the OPI Espana Collection. I love OPI..it's a sinful indulgence for me. I take forever to buy one and it has to be a shade i totally LOVE. It's an affordable indulgence though that happens maybe once a month for me and especially during the summer months.

The collection boasts a dozen beautiful colrs with equally unique names that make the fingers tingle to be painted.

They are creme colors and some of the collection has a subtle shimmer to them which make them perfect for fall and winter berry and dark hues.

Hues above: Barefoot in Barcelona, Can You Tapas This? Give Me Moor!
Pink Flamenco, No Spain No Gain, Ate Berries in the Canaries.

Hues above are: Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees, Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow, Manicurist of Seville.Pamplona Purple, Conquistadorable Color, Bullish on OPI.

I so want like 75% this collection. the colors are rich and vibrant. Beauty Junkies Online has done swatches of the colors and they are stunning. I love fall with the rich colors that always accompany it. My birthday depending on the year is usually the first day of fall so this year i'll enter into in style with a new vampy color. Would love to have Pamplona Purple on the toes and Manicurist of Seville on my fingers.

Buff'd Cosmetics samples

2009-07-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so here is part two of searching for the perfect quad of mineral eyeshadows to compare to the Revlon 12hr color stay quad in Blushed Wines.

Buff'd Cosmetics I use for my foundations and they are very good quality ad make my skin look great. They are located in Prince George, British Columbia in Canada. Placed this order on the 22 of July and the samples arrived in Texas today July 30th. considering it's coming from Canada 1 week is great. That is how long my foundation takes to get to me as well. Samples come in a plastic baggie and are only $1 each. when ordering samples only shipping is FREE. they arrived in a simple brown mailer with the company logo on it and the recipt of my products. No frills but they are jsut samples which is okay with me. Tissue paper and fluff just go to the trash.

Buff'd Cosmetics describes their Mineral Eyeshadows as:

With colors that range from natural to earthy, from smoky to sultry, the Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadow line has a shade to suit every occasion.

Only the finest mineral pigments go into our eye shadows allowing for great wearabilty and colors that will never fade. Using the Angle Detail brush - all Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadows can be mixed with a small amount of water for the perfect eye liner.

ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarines, chromium oxide

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Price: Full size jar: $8 (on sale now for $6.40)
Sample: $1

I ordered six samples of Mineral Eyeshadows and received as a bonus one extra sample of eyeshadow and one mineral blush. More on the extras later. The baggie contains 1/4 teaspoon of product and trust me when i say a little goes a long way with thsi company as i just ran out of my sample of foundation and have just started using my full size after 3 weeks of using it.

My order included these colors:

Fluff - Light shimmering pink
Candytuff - Soft creamy pink
Carnation - Vibrant pink
Electric - Dark wine burgundy
Braisin - Dark blend of purple and pink.

One sample came from the Pure Pigments Line:
Buff'd Cosmetics has this to say about thier Pure Pigments:

Buff'd Pure Pigments are pure oxidized mica minerals producing some of the most beautiful shimmering colors.

An all-purpose powder, Pure Pigments can be worn as an eye shadow, blush, bronzer and shimmer. Applied either dry for light shimmering highlights or wet for vibrant color. They are so versatile and true in color they can even be added to lip glosses and nail lacquers.

ingredients: mica

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Full jar price: $8 (on sale for $6.40)
sample: $1

I ordered the sample of the color:
BabyDoll - Soft pink.

I really liked the selection of eyeshadows and pure pigments they have a nice assortment which to me is not overwhelming.

Bonus Samples
Rosewood Mineral Blush
Mushroom Mineral Eyeshaow

Here is the swatches of the samples:

From top to bottom:

Babydoll, Fluff, Caddytuff, Carnation, Electric, Braisin, Rosewood and Mushroom

Here is a closeup of the lighter pinks:

The texture of the eyeshadows is very soft and creamy, though for the Pure Pigment i did need to apply a little more and it feel a little finer than the mineral eyeshadow since it's just pure mica.
The Rosewood blush is divine in texture and i know it would look lovely on my skin just as their Thrift blush feels great on my skin and gives me a dewy look that i love. Carnation is my fave of the pinks and Braisin and electric are wonderful colors with Braisin having more of a dark plum hue where as electric has some red leanings.

Need to try teh colors out int he look to see how they work. Laready have the full size of the Blush Thrift in my cart and Mushroom..though i do need to compare it to Lusty from Coastal Scents to make sure it's not the same color.

I guess I'm easy to please when i pick colors i like. Buff'd MES are less glittery that Aromaleigh but they are stunning. They also warm the skin give off a sublte shimmer so if a subtle glow is what you are looking for in an E/S, then i highly suggest you order samples and see for yourself.

will let you know of results soon.

the Aromaleigh samples have been working well on me for the past few days and i will have a more in depth analysis soon of both companies.

Cheers!

Coastal Scents Purchase

2009-07-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

Finding Coastal Scents.com makeup has been an interesting experience. I have purchased from them in the past and found my fist blush that didn't itch me half way through my day. The blush which also doubles as a nice base color eyeshadow for the warm neutrals I love. I have also purchased makeup brushes and was flabbergasted at the quality for the great price.

With my blush purchase i received a sample of Fawn eyeshadow. It's a beautiful rich chocolate brown color. It goes on so soft and lasts all day without moving. It's lovely and trust me when i say that a little goes a LONG way. The sample bag still has a a good amount of product in there. I use it for a crease color. $7.95 it comes in a generous 10g sifter jar and is so worth the price.

Simply stunning is just too demure of a word for this eyeshadow. Along with this gorgeous shade i also ordered Lusty a high light shade that would go with everything. Pearly and has hints of gold in there but is so neutral that it can make an appearance with almost any look. Described on CS as " Lusty shadow is a creamy light satiny beige powder with low sparkle. " it''s creamy and beautiful and like Fawn, a little goes a long way.

The two jars came nicely packaged in a mini lilac organza bag and I also got a free sample of a color called Aqua Zone. The color is like a dark aquamarine and is so soft and silky when putting it on.

May have to find an occasion to wear it since i usually am a neutrals kid of gal. Maybe my sister who uses color more can use it. Though it is very pretty. I had a MAC color like it in high school that I loved using it.

Considering how long these shadows last the investment of almost $18 is well spent. I have not even gone thru half of the blush color i first ordered. Very much satisfied.

Cheers!

Aromaleigh Samples

2009-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

So after looking at a tutorial on YouTube for this gorgeous look with Revlon 12 Hour e/s in Blush Wines, I am so taken by the look. It was done by geisha1254

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6js2WPogwUY

However, I cannot use Revlon..it makes me itch. So I started the search for comparable colors to complete this look.

I ordered from two companies and Aromaleigh came in first.
Pronounced Aroma Lee, Aromaleigh has been on the web since 1998 (great year.. graduated high school that year) and according to the About Us page:

Aromaleigh is a small, independent online company that specializes in microformulating our unique and proprietary loose mineral powder cosmetics and natural fragrances using the finest cosmetic grade pigments, natural ingredients and botanicals available. Our loose powder mineral makeup is not repackaged or "private label", as is becoming more and more common as the mineral makeup trend has grown exponentially. It seems like new Mineral Makeup companies are appearing every day! Mineral Makeup is even being sold in drugstores!

We've been serving the natural beauty needs of our customers since 1998 via www.aromaleigh.com, and are celebrating our ten year anniversary this year. We are proud to have been part of the mineral makeup revolution, and the handful of like-minded, woman-owned online companies who started providing an alternate source to mass-manufactured mineral makeup. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." And so Aromaleigh Mineral Cosmetics has. We're humbled to have you along for the ride...

That being said, they have a HUGE selection of eyeshadows. It's so overwhelming I had to join the boards on the website and ask for suggestions as to matches for the quad I was trying to color match. The ladies ont he board were so helful and i quickly got a list of colors to sift through.

I made some hard decisions and ordered samples of:

Lyche Deeper rose-brown raisin shade
Wish A peachy golden pink with slight iridescence
Wine A medium toned, rich pinkish-wine shadow
Damask A great "nude" shade... use as a base, highlighter or all-over color
Persephone Lush bordeaux with a cocoa lowlight and rose highlight
Magnolia Matte Eyeshadow: A medium-deep muted mahogany
Petunia Sweet as sugar, baby pastel pink with a frosty pink highlight
Angelique Innocent mid-toned fawn pink with a hint of buff and opalescent highlights.
Ophelia The sweetest pale baby pink with a dewdrop green highlight.
Edie Pearlized glimmering medium pink.

The cheapest price for my samples was 65 cents and the most expensive was 1.30 for a small baggie of product. Considering that i'm on a beauty mission from god the expense was rationalized away as i entered in my credit card number. Shipment took 3 days to get to me....not bad since they are in South Carolina and I'm in South Central Texas. Oh and did i mention that if you order ONLY samples and samples ONLY you get free shipping. That is a great thing.

The samples came in a simple bubble mailer and wrapped in bright pink tissue paper with a Silver AromaLeigh logo sticker to seal the package of samples. In addition to the samples I ordered i received three other samples at no extra charge:

Gossamer Color Infusion Lipstick sample ( a red brown with shimmer lipstick very soft and beautiful)
Little Craving e/s (a bright pink fromt her Gothic Lolita collection)
Plush Romantic e/s (a beautiful Mysterious smudged indigo with brilliant bright sparks of blue. with a ton of shimmer..so sexy also from the Gothic Lolita collection)

The full size jars of eyeshadow come in the 5 gram sifter jars. All the eye shadows at full size are $6.75 except for Lychee which is on sale till 7/29 for $5.81 and regular price is $7.75. Not bad considering the quality is in a word, gorgeous.

I did swatches of the shadows i was considering before i reviewed the YouTube video to narrow down to my final choices. bear with me and the pen markings i will explain:
From top to bottom:

Petunia
Ophelia
Damask
Edie
Angelique
Wish
Lychee
Persephone

After looking at the shades which all went on gorgeous even without base and with a cotton swab, i decided to go with (going from lightest to darkest):

Petunia
Angelique
Wish
Persephone

I'm excited to try the look. I'm looking forward to my first order from Aromaleigh..since my order will be more than $20 i qualify for the First Order coupon which takes $5 off my order of $20 or more. FABULOUS!

They have more deals and coupon codes in their Coupons + Deals link from the left menu bar. Looking for ward to the other samples i ordered some in and have some more comparisons to make. They are coming from Buff'd Cosmetics who I love for my foundation.

Until Next Time!

Makeup Box Project and Makeup Brush holder

2009-07-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

In the quest to become more organized at my now increasing makeup collection and makeup brush collection, I have purchased two unfinished wood pieces, one jewelry box and a pencil holder from Hobby Lobby. At a total of almost $20 for the pieces, the paint, and the pretty paper, i think this is a project worth the money and what a savings from the $59-$79 organizer i was eying online.

So here is the 4 drawer box. You can check it out on Craftsetc.com for $12.99 (or at Hobby Lobby)

The other thing is called a remote organizer but i think it looks more like a pen holder/organizer. It is on the same site or at your local Hobby Lobby store for $3.99.

The 4 drawer chest is quite nice. I liked the idea of vertical space versus horizontal space although i do have plenty of room on the bathroom counter, but the hubby will be back from Iraq one day and will need the one foot of room i give him. I'm so excited about this project!

I also found some nice paper to use to decorate the drawers themselves. And the greatest part was finding this metallic peridot paint by FolkArt! It is absolutely beautiful! It matches my sexy bedding that i found at Ross. Dark Peridot with gold in it..so warm and calming. To die for!

Now for the paper, the die cut lace papers are really in now and i found a good scroll pattern in black. Very pretty and with a cardstock thickness so it's not filmy or too delicate.

To adhere the paper i just used the Tacky Glue. Modge Podge was just too expensive and i always loose it. Have to get a sealer on Monday but it looks greta so far.

The Result was this gorgeous box i am proud to put in my bathroom! The makeup brush holder isn't finished yet but i do have pics detailing the paint job. i love both so far.

I do plan on adding the scroll die cut paper to it some where but i need a second coat on the holder. It soaks up a lot of paint. Would love to do some more in this color and some in bronze. I can't begin to say how much fun this was and how glad I am that all this was done for a fraction of the price of those ones i wanted. Thank God for Hobby Lobby!

Buff'd Cosmetics..Canadian jewel ..Review

2009-05-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

Okay my third investigation of a mineral makeup company is of Buff'd Cosmetics out of Canada.

They offer more than just makeup. They offer body products as well.

I got samples which were $1.50 for a baggie of product. I got 3 foundations and 1 blush sample. They have cute names for the foundations like Apricot, Ginger, Saffron, and Magnolia. I got samples in Apricot, Warm and Pecan in the "Original Mineral Formula. "

Buff'd comes in three formulations: (the next descriptions taken from the webpage)

Available in three outstanding formulations:

original: a great full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines

The Warm shade was too yellow..didn't even have to open that one. The Pecan shade was a little too dark and looked a little too dark almost orangy on my skin. Finally, the Apricot was just right. Blended seamlessly into my skin. It did feel a little chalky going on but once it settled it was like a second skin and weightless. It covered anything that needed to be covered without using concealer. That was indeed a wonderful surprise.

It was 91 degrees today and i had a lot of running around today. Another day of no air conditioning in the car while doing non-church driving (have to look nice at chruch so whole body MUST have cool air in the car) It lasted and i have to say i even got compliments on my skin and it's radiance. That was amazing.

full size jar: 21 grams volume / 10 grams weight $15
sample size: 1/2 teaspoon sample bag $1.50

The Blushes are another fun looking collection. They have fun names as well like Sugar Coated, Chick Pea, and Winterberry.
The blush sample i got was in the color "Tricky." The webpage descibes it as a Peachy pink with shimmer. At $12 it's not bad for the amount that you get. It felt creamy going on and has great staying power. A little goes a long way with this product as well.

A concentrated formula of all natural minerals and pigments, a small amount of our blush is enough to flush your cheeks with plenty of color.

ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight $12
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag $1.00

They also carry setting powders for oil control, finishing powders for those with normal to dry skin and color correctors all with a wonderful explanation of key ingedients that make the product work as well as a list of all ingrdients. These are $12 as well for the same amountof product as the Blushes.

There are also bronzers and illuinators that serves as highlights for your cheeks.

Eyeshadows, Pure pigments and brown powders are all $8. There is a very good selection in each category. They even have a beautiful array of lipsticks for $12. The site is very simple in construction and very user friendly. I had not problem looking around and finding exactly what i needed to know. It took the item 4 business days to get from Canada to Central Texas..not bad at all.

I have a tough decision between the LA Minerals and the Buff'd Cosmetics. I like both.

LA Minerals a Texas cosmetics company..Fabulous!

2009-05-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Well, in my journey for the ultimate mineral makeup I have encountered quite a few web pages and have greatly increased my delicious list. Upon good reviews from several makeup blogs, I decided to get samples from LA Minerals.

They offer a full line of cosmetics from foundation to lip balm and skin care. All made in the US and at great prices. Slightly less expensive than BE in the foundation area but a little more expensive than Everyday Minerals, the quality of the LA Minerals product that truly speaks for this company.

LA Minerals offers 3 levels of coverage with theier loose mineral foundations:(descriptions are from the website)

1) Hollywood: Hollywood Face BaseTM is a premium, medium to heavy coverage mineral makeup foundation that includes the best minerals and all natural mineral pigments, blended into a light-reflecting powder. Enhanced with pure silk powder, silica micro-spheres, and boron nitride minerals. Sweep on our luxurious, premium mineral foundation for a natural and flawless finish.

If other mineral foundations left you overly glowy and itching...give Hollywood Face Base a try.

2) Valley Girl: Valley Girl mineral foundation is our newest addition to the L.A. Minerals line. Designed with specific skin issues in mind, this heavy coverage, matte formula is gentle, pure and soothing.

Acneic skin: the addition of Allantoin, famous for it's healing properties, acts as an antiseptic and skin soother. Acne is often aggravated by pore clogging makeup which holds onto dirt and oils, causing more acne. Our Valley Girl mineral foudation is free of talc, perfumes, bismuth, and chemicals. Gentle, pure minerals, infused with healing ingredients.
Oily Skin: the addition of Kaolin Clay, world reknown as a centuries old secret to absorbing oil, will help keep your makeup looking fresh all day long. Instead of trapping the oil in your skin, our Valley Girl formula wisks it away into the millions of ultra-fine, oil absorbing, Kaolin Clay particles.
Scarred Skin: Using industry leading minerals created for more opacity, the Valley Girl formula is the perfect choice for skin with scars or uneven skin tones

3) NoHoGlo:
NoHoGlo Face Base:

North Hollywood, otherwise known as NoHo just added you to the hotty list! Are you ready to transform your dull, lifeless skin into that ready-for the camera look? Then NoHoGlo is for you! This formula leaves you with a flawless, lit-from-within look with light to medium coverage.

This Boron Nitride based formula offers the benefits of increased adhesion, lubricity, soft-focus effect, dewy appearance, air-brushed look, anti-inflammatory, and a silky natural feel. Fantastic for young and aging skin alike. It has a tightening effect while absorbing excess oil, without drying out your skin.

I got some foundation samples and found that I am a Medium Neutral in Hollywood formulation. The sample cost only $2.00 for a mini sifter jar. Also ordered some eyeshadow samples in Aladdin's Lamp and Playful, which were $1 each for a 1/4 teaspoon in a small baggie. Today I'm wearing the foundation and Aladdin's Lamp eyeshadow and I went out running errands in the Texas heat with no air conditioning ( trying to save gas since it's $2.35 in some areas and $2.25 in other areas and that just irks and worries me).

Let me back track, putting the foundation on was like placing silk on my face. I don't even feel it on my face. A little goes a long way with this product. My initial application resulted in a color slightly darker than i had anticipated. This morning, I lightly applied the product and found that the color really blended lightly. My pores were covered and the result was immaculate.
Running errands resulted in slight itches but were soon over and my face has no oily shine, just a luminous look. The Texas heat can't beat this stuff!

The eyeshadow went on so lightly and i needed very little to get a great hit of color. Considering the baggies is only 1/4 tsp that says a lot. There was also no fallout and it felt creamy on my eyelid.

The full on foundation jar costs: $19.95 for 8 grams of product. Given that this stuff will last longer since so little is needed, this is a great price for a long lasting product translation= more bang for your buck.

Full size eyeshadow costs: $8.95 for a jar of 5 grams. It's a dollar more than Coastal Scents where you get 0.05 oz of product with them. Everyday Minerals costs $6 and 3.5 grams I have yet to try the shadows but i bet they are nice as well)

Blush is $10.95 for 20 grams (nt wt 4g), Coastal scents 2 grams (NT weight) for $8.95, and EDM for 8g NT weight at $8. Must try thier blush as well.

I'm very happy with this company as well. So exciting to find local companies that offer great products at great prices and care about what they do and how they make their products. Fabulous!

Customer service is quick and they are very helpful with recommendations and getting you to find the right shade.

Overall, this company has impressed me and i think so far this company may be the one I go with for my trip to Puerto Rico. I have one more sample set coming in from a company called Buff'd Cosmetics. They are out of Canada so we'll try them out as well my samples are on the way already. Happy Blingn' yall!

Everyday Minerals..A Local Texas Company

2009-05-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

The hunt for great makeup is an almost daily quest for most women. Weather, skin and life changes (like pregnancy) effect our skin in drastic ways. My skin has changed from being really oily to dry. It's odd. Along the way I discovered mineral makeup. My skin has become so sensitive that it's more sensitive than my Mom's now. I love Bareminerals. They have a great line and it looks great on me and has improved the condition of my skin.

However, i noticed that i have begun to itch with the summer heat upon us in San Antonio. I love my BE but the itching not so much. So to remedy this i have started searching for a new mineral line..that's when I found Everyday Minerals. Youtubers have greatly contributed to my desire to try this new company which I found is local for me..It's just a hop skip and a jump up I-35 to Austin. Though they don't have a physical store to walk in and purchase their online site is fabulous.

There is a sample kit you can purchase for just the cost of shipping (to San Antonio it was $3.28 and got here isn two days). You get 3 foundations, 1 blush and 1 concealer. They some nicely packaged in recycled tissue paper and it comes with a color chart to help you further decide which base wold be great for your skin-tone.

This company is totally inclusive of the skin out there. There are more foundations here than i have seen in a lot of mineral sites. In their FAQs they also help you try to define your skintone to their families of colors. When you slide your mouse over the color it gives a brief description of the color and which skintones the color would fit.

There there is the choice of coverage, from a dewy glow to intense, it will satisfy your choice in coverage. I am currently wearing the Semi-matte formula in Beige-medium Neutral. I want to try the Matte and Intense formulations in this color to figure out which one I'd like best. So I'm ordering a second sample kit since i have found my color..now I'm looking at intensity.

The base when looking to purchase full size is: $12 which is a little less than half the price of BE.

Next item in your kit: A Blush. This was so much fun choosing a blush. I have been mixing a mineral blush from Coastal Scents with a blush from Flirt! at Kohls to achieve this one color Everyday Minerals has. It's called Snooze Bar. It's Perfect! Just perfect for everyday! I'm so ordering the Big one. At $8 is an wallet pleaser!

The last item is a concealer called Multi-Tasking. I used it under my eyes and to cove any acne scarring and it worked perfectly. It is a great shade for me and makes me look fresh and awake.

The company is super eco-concious and you can read all about it in the FAQs and About Us section. For me personally it's great to have a local company because I wasn't to support my state economy and I LOVE that shipping doesn't take so long from Austin. I wonder if they can do a factory tour. That would be so cool. Also on the website you can sign up for their forums and read their blogs which showcase Austin and all the traveling the company does for their ingredients. It's very cool.

As a bibliophile, i loved that they had a set dedicated to Jane Austen..which was listed in one of the blog posts. That is just too cool.

Overall, this makeup has me on a good step as i try it out. We'll see how it works out as the days go by.

Beaded Bookmarks...Bling for your books!

2009-05-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Okay so i am a bibliophile.

I love books with great covers and great stories..who doesn't?

i find myself trying to coordinate my bookmarks to the story or to the cover...most times the cover...i love great cover art.

So i have made a few beaded bookmarks with Silver Plated Shepard's Hooks. Just so easy to threat a headpin and attach to the hook. Simple and an elegant look.

I'm going to add some to my Ecrater Store. It's hard parting with some of them because i get attached to the look.

I hope the photo editing stuff i Dled from Picasa helps.

This is so pretty. It's got cracked glass and a huge acrylic faceted bead with silver spacers. Every time I look at it, the word that comes to mind is "elegant." Though in the picture it looks very earthy. Any suggestions for a name?

Here is another one with glass beads and swarovksi beads. I have this one in copy of The Hindi-Bindi Club. Great read and has wonderful recipes too! I'm giving Indian cuisine a whirl this week and it's really flavorful! Using cilantro in a new way is so much fun. The flavor just feels so different with masalas. Yum!

I'm also reading a vampire novel and i have these dark burgundy czech beads that i wan tto use for the book. Then there are a few more i just made on a whim. Will post as soon as i can get them scanned and edited. Any suggestions on how to make the beads clear and beautiful would be great. I'm still new to the whole photo editing thingy.

I do take custom orders so if there is some biblio-bling that i can make for you let me know!

Happy Blingn!

Jewelry for the anniversary

2009-05-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

With my 6th wedding anniversary coming up at the end of this month I wanted to do a post on jewelry appropriate for the occasion. Anything that sparkles is always great with me, however there is a new list of specific gemstones that one can present on such a grand occasion as a wedding anniversary.

Anniversary Year Stone or Precious Metal

1st Anniversary Gold

2nd Anniversary Garnet

3rd Anniversary Pearl

4th Anniversary Blue Topaz

5th Anniversary Sapphire

6th Anniversary Amethyst

7th Anniversary Onyx

8th Anniversary Tourmaline

9th Anniversary Lapis Lazuli

10th Anniversary Diamond

11th Anniversary Turquoise

12th Anniversary Jade

13th Anniversary Citrine

14th Anniversary Opal

15th Anniversary Ruby

20th Anniversary Emerald

25th Anniversary Sterling Silver

30th Anniversary Pearls

50th Anniversary Gold

60th Anniversary Diamond

65th Anniversary Star Sapphire

75th Anniversary Diamond

As you can see, a few of the gemstones are used for more than a single anniversary. Perhaps this is in part due to the widespread popularity of the particular jewel or gemstone.At any rate, most women love jewelry, so the gift of a brilliant gemstone on her wedding anniversary is sure to be appreciated.

Son weather it's a ring, necklace bracelet or other piece of jewelry I'm sure this list will greatly help your loved one find the perfect piece with a stone or metal that is appropriate for the year. also saves from over stimulation and indecision. Can't go wrong with a guide.

Silver Sneakers and the First Lady

2009-05-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

Having seen the amazingly expensive silver kicks The First Lady was wearing. I thought that it was a little bit of an odd pair of sneakers to wear.

I found these at Zappos.com that would have been too nice and comfy.

They are 64.90 and wold have been just as nice as the ugly French shoes. Don't get me wrong I adore most things from France but every once in a while even they have an off day. These Sketchers are just too cute.

That's my thoughts on that..not a big rant but i feel better.

Eco Friendly Jewelry

2009-04-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

I was watching Tv and some of the most cheesiest commercials come on during the day time hours before 3pm. One of them being a commercial about recycling your old jewelry and getting a check in the mail from a refinery. while the concept may seem corny, it does have some good merits. Recycling old or broken or unused jewelry helps to provide gold silver and platinum to the jewelry industry that doe snot have to be mined.

According to Brilliant Earth.com , mining of gold is a very destructive process to the environment. Not only that but the conditions the workers are placed in are hazardous.

Using lab created stones is another great way to leave a softer mark on the planet. These stones look just like the real thing and unless your friends are carrying a degree in gemology the are not going to know the difference. Sparkle is sparkle right!
This ring from Kohls.com is just wonderful. I have tried it on and will begetting it soon. It just sings! The stones are created and look just like diamonds. They are tough as nails and did I mention they sparkle a great deal? It's part of their DiamondLuxe collection. Right now this ring is still on sale and is on the website for $52.49 that is even lower from the $69 it was 2 weeks ago when I looked at again. I think it's time to purchase the ring! wat do you think?

Elizabeta Jewelry is another site that is socially concious and eco concious when it coems to jewelry making. They offer some stunning jewelry that used recycled marterials, responsible diamonds (not blood diamonds)and hybrid stones. A portion of their proceeds goes towards conservation efforts.

With all of the earth trying to conserve and do better to maintain our planet why not do it with jewelry that looks fantastic and it recycled or never mined from the planet leaving it damaged and hazardous to a child's health. Bling on all!

April the Diamond

2009-04-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

The April gemstone is one of the most coveted of all the gemstones on the planet. It is the rock we all look forward to getting from a guy on bended knee. It is the subject of wars and fair trade. It sparkles and shimmers and catches the light in such a wonderful way that one cannot help but smile when that sparkle greets our eyes.

All you lucky April babies are blessed to have a stone that comes in a variety of colors and shades and are still called diamonds. Cognac, chocolate, black, blue, champagne, canary, pink, etc. They are all wonderful examples of the beautiful carbon stone. In fact, the varieties of colored diamond have a higher value than their colorless sisters. Whether it's in a ring, a necklace, a bracelet or any other peice of jewelry, diamonds are a joy to have in any collection.

Myths and legend behind the stoen suggest that Cupid used diamond tipped arrows and thus the reason why the stone is coupled with love.

The Hope diamond is NOT i repeat is NOT the largest diamond on the face of the planet.
The Golden Jubilee, with the weight of 545.67 carats, is the largest faceted diamond in the world. Rough stone weighed 755 carats and was discovered in Premier mine, South Africa in 1985. The Golden Jubilee was presented to the King of Thailand in 1997 for his Golden Jubilee - the 50th anniversary of his coronation. Prior to this event, the stone was simply known as the Unnamed Brown. Estimated value of the Golden Jubilee is $4-$12 million.
My favorite diamond is the Star of Africa:

The Cullinan I, a pear shaped diamond weighing 530.20 carats is also known as the Star of Africa. It measures 53mm x 44mm x 29mm, and has 76 facets. It's called the Cullinan I because it is the largest of 9 large stones cut from the 3106 carat Cullinan Diamond. Cullinan I was placed by King Edward in the Sovereign's Royal Scepter as part of the Crown Jewels, and it is now on display in the tower of London. Estimated value of Cullinan I is over $400 million!

But those are for royals. How can the everyday girl indulge in the April birthstone on a more realistic budget?

At Amazon diamond earrings can be quite reasonable at $59.99.

Kohl's Sterling Silver Diamond Circle Bracelet is a good investment piece at $75

Macy's has 14k White Gold Diamond Dragonfly Pendant (1/5 ct. t.w.) on sale for $179

jewelry can be fun and worth investing in since we wear it so often and it makes us feel great!

Find your diamond and let it shine!