Saturday, December 29, 2012

Georgia Holidays

I've been in Atlanta since the 26th.  I came off of a wonderfully turbulent trip on a teeny tiny plane.  Images of Flight danced in my head as I watched the rain streak across the window. 

GAHHHH

By the grace of God, we landed safely at Hartsfield.  Unfortunately, there was literally no space on this ridiculous excuse for an airplane so we all had to pseudo-check our bags in. However, we had the "convenience" of picking up our bags on the jetway right outside the plane exit (I had to look up the word jetway, which I found from an article entitled "How to Board a Plane").  So I got to spend 20 minutes waiting for my bag while attendants yelled out VERY general descriptions of our luggage ("Black suitcaaaaase? Anyone have a black bag?")

image via newbid.net
That's a jetway, y'all!  I also learned the word "tarmac". Tarrrrmaaaac.  Short for tarmacadam.  If you knew that, I would be impressed. But there's no way you knew that.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Sandy Hook Shooting

It's been heartbreaking to see the names of the children and adults whose lives were taken so quickly in Newtown, Connecticut.

My young nieces and nephew live one town over, and I was with their mom when she found out about the shooting. At the time, I just felt numb.

Now, as more details and more opinions come out regarding the incident, the numbness has been replaced with sadness, outrage, and fear.

An article came out on Gawker about a woman who has a son with violent tendencies and possible disorders.  I was shocked at how judgmental and ignorant the commenters could be.  Yet, among the comments that make you feel utterly disappointed in humans, there are personal stories that give you chills and stir up compassion for people who are dealing with mental illnesses. For the parents of sick children who feel helpless and overwhelmed by the lack of support in the mental health system. For the siblings AND parents who live in constant fear of their family member...not knowing when they will be chased with knives, who lock their bedroom doors at night, and hide any potential weapons around the house.  I urge you to read these stories that readers share in the comments.

Although it is not a thought that frequently plagues me, I believe I worry more than the average person about the gamble of what my future children will turn out to be. I flipped out when I watched "We Need to Talk About Kevin." I know that it can be a hard life when one is a parent to a child with special needs. And to think of the extreme cases, such as the ones that involve violent acts committed by my own child, scares me silly.  I calmed myself down a bit before going to sleep last night. And I prayed for all of the families who are in need of support and love.  I reminded myself that I don't allow fear to stop me from doing what I want.  I do believe that eventually I will have children.  So whatever happens, I will embrace the situation and hope that we can share the joys of life together.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Estee Lauder vs. Target Brand Eye Makeup Remover







I had been using Target's Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover and was very happy with it. But I got the Estee Lauder Makeup Remover as part of a gift set so I decided to test it out. The Target brand says on the bottle that it is comparable to the Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover.

Both the Target Brand and Estee Lauder Eye Makeup Removers claim to be oil-free, but the Target brand one does seem to be a bit oily. The bottle even says to SHAKE WELL in capital letters in the directions. The oily feeling isn't so overwhelming that it bothers me. If there was an issue with feeling oily, I feel like all you have to do is take off your eye makeup first with the Target brand (which works really well!) and THEN wash your face. I really feel that you only have to swipe twice with a cotton pad using the Target brand makeup remover. I was a little too thorough on the video swiping with the Target brand. I wish I had shown you how much makeup came off with each swipe, but alas...I wanted to finish this video so I didn't redo it. Sorry! Anyway, when I use the Estee Lauder one, I have to swipe multiple times, and lots of times, it just feels like I'm moving the eye makeup around. It smears all over the place! But oddly enough, the Estee Lauder one behaved pretty well on the video.

Estee Lauder is 3.4 oz and $18! The Target brand is 5.5 oz and $4.54. What a deal! So yeah...I didn't care for the Estee Lauder one. I would definitely be purchasing the Target one again.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Read All the Magazines You Love for Free for a Month!


image via nextissue.com

There's a new app called Next Issue where you get unlimited access to all the popular magazines starting at $9.99 a month. And right now, the company is running a promotion where you can try it for FREE for a month. And no hassle with calling a rep to cancel. You just hit the cancel button through your online account before the 30-day trial is up!

I just got it for my iPad today and am super excited!!


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

November Endings


Shirt and Purse from H & M, Michael Kors Watch, the rest is SUPER old and probably from Wet Seal, The Body Shop, or wherever I shopped during high school

This was my outfit for dinner on actual Thanksgiving night. (See here for when I do family turkey night.) Some friends and I went out to Sons of Essex in the Lower East Side for their awesome prix fixe meal with unlimited pumpkin ginger mimosas. And they like to plop those bubbly suckers down for replenishment even before you're done with what you're nursing. Needless to say, I don't remember what I ate. No, I do. Their truffle mac and cheese should be considered illegal. Illegale!!

Anyway, I sent the above pic to my mom, who immediately texted me, "Who took this photo? Your head looks huge and your legs look short." She is my ray of sunshine.

Monday, November 26, 2012

The Man with the Golden Gun...for Your Nails!


Gold is in this season, whether it's gold hardware on your purse or gold accents on your shoes. Even the nails are getting the luxury treatment...with 18K gold foil in OPI's 007-inspired The Man with the Golden Gun top coat.
images via opi.com

It is currently sold out in many stores and web sites.  I found a limited number of the polish on Amazon for $52.  


image via thewonderforest.com

image via pollypolish.com


image via shopaholic.com


What do you think? Is it worth the hype? I'll be definitely looking for any cheap copycat polish!

Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh

I get really excited about heading down to Pittsburgh every year to see my husband's family. Our celebration occurs on the weekend. We usually have about 2 dozen people gather together for order-in Chinese food on Friday, family games, arts & crafts, inappropriate jokes/conversation, and of course- awesome T-Day food on Saturday! 

2 things were going to sweeten the deal this year:

1) Fried turkey. I'm a sorry excuse for a Southerner.  I never had this before. Now, I can say I have. And it is freaking amazing.


HECK YEAH



2) My friend from LA, Thuy, was coming to join us for dinner with her boyfriend! This is what they arrived to once entering the house.

Club music and duct tape fashion. We do a contest every year for best design.

Our winning cousin.  Ladies, he's single. Yes, that's my niece behind him.   Everyone in the family is fairly subjected to the weirdness.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Would You...Tuxedo Stripes?

I remember hitting up my local Macy's and wearing this look back in high school.  I don't recall it being a huge fad.  (Yes,  I kind of marched to the beat of my own drum when it came to fashion.  Sometimes it worked. A lot of times it didn't.)

But now, I'm seeing many celebrities embracing this interesting hybrid of racing and tuxedo stripes on denim, leggings, leather, any material seems game!

image via peoplewatch.com







Blakey Lively and Miranda Kerr paired their stripes with a simple white top and heels.  These two tall gals don't need it, but a benefit of the stripes is the great illusion of elongating your legs.

The thicker stripes on Blake's pants and her more loose fit can lean toward resembling track pants. However, she manages to dress her pants up with statement jewelry, a dressy blouse, and feminine shoes.

I want to reiterate the key point of nice, fitted pants to go with the tuxedo stripe. I recall being in Korea in 2003 and seeing all of these women wearing actual workout track pants that were baggy with heels. Twas not a good look, in my opinion.

To get your own pair of similar pants, check out Rag & Bone tuxedo jeans and leggings online or at Nordstrom.
image via ragandbone.com


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Magic of Dry Shampoo: Just Spray and Go!



image via dailyglow.com
For most of my life, I dutifully washed my hair every single day. I felt so fresh from my habit of daily shampooing, imagining all the dirt and grime accumulated on my scalp getting flushed down the shower drain to oblivion. Mind you, I didn't even have oily hair. Yet, getting my lather on psychologically uplifted me to sparkling, pristine levels of cleanliness.

Fast forward to last year, when I warmed up to the foreign idea of washing one's hair only three to four times a week. In my adult life, I had gotten adventurous with regard to my hair. I went through several color treatments and experienced a couple of insane roller coaster rides between straight and curly perms. The end result was dry, processed hair.

I had read that the longer, thicker, and more processed the hair, the longer it can go between washes. The oils from the scalp don't travel down the hair shaft as quickly, so the hair tends to be more dry and requires less frequent shampooing. Also, overwashing can cause hair color to fade and dry hair out, leading to breakage and extra damage. Although I had the research to reassure me that it was indeed ok to let a day or two go without a washing, I still felt paranoid about greasy locks and hair odor. My worries subsided when dry shampoo became my best friend.  

image via schwarzkopf.com

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Free Personal Shopping Appointments at Topshop

Perhaps you are the target of friends wanting to get you on those crazy makeover shows or you just need a little help throwing some fabulous outfits together.  Now, personal shoppers aren't only for celebrities or socialites. And if you live in NYC, you can get the service free compliments of Topshop!

image via topshop.com


Check out their services!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Would You Rock This Edgy Phone Case?

For some reason, I love brass knuckles/rings! The thought of what damage those things can do actually makes me cringe, but I really like the design.

So when I saw this today at a shoot, I had to ask the girl if I could take a picture of it.


She was actually taking a picture, too! And she had this awesome studded black leather jacket and torn black stockings to complete the look. Almost as if she chose her outfit based on her phone case! Wouldn't that be crazy if we came to that?

Anyway, you can purchase one of these babies on Amazon right here for $15.99.

image via amazon.com

Would you use this? Do you love it or is it completely impractical/disgusting to you?


Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Falsies Mascara Review

I'm always up for trying new mascara since the search for THE perfect mascara for me has not ended.

My friend recommended that I try Maybelline Volume Express The Falsies Mascara. The name implies the incredible look of false lashes. And the curved brush is supposed to result in 300% more visible lashes! Did you read that? 300%?! So your lashes end up looking like this:

image via maybelline.com
Right. Because those are the model's real lashes. Actually, I don't understand how companies get away with advertising that mascara does this when the models are obviously wearing fake lashes. That's like Victoria's Secret showing what their push up bras do on models who are wearing tight sweaters and just got their boobs done to HH proportions. Or Jessica Simpson getting the lap band to lose her pregger fat and giving credit to Weight Watchers (I read too much gossip).


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Ways to Use Chopsticks #89

Don't you hate having products go to waste? The end of that lipgloss, the last of your lotion...

Well, here's a fancy way to use your chopsticks.  Dig into your containers! Especially good when the original dispensing tube doesn't reach the bottom.


So instead of throwing away the lone chopstick that's lost its partner or a slightly bent one (like mine: a victim of the dishwasher heat), reuse it!

Friday, September 14, 2012

Pre-Order Your iPhone 5



Pre-order iPhone 5 from the Apple Online Store and have it shipped free to your door. Or buy it at your favorite Apple Retail Store starting at 8:00 a.m. on September 21. 


Pre-Order your iPhone 5 here

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Skin Routine

Real Simple's List of Picks for Flawless Skin got me thinking about what I regularly use and love!

image via muvazi.com
Plus, there's an easy-to-win giveaway at the end of this post!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Review: Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara

image via coolspotters.com

I really, REALLY wanted to like the Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara. I loved the packaging and its squeezable tube. It gives me the similar satisfaction of getting every last bit of toothpaste out. The product got great reviews on Sephora (4.2 out of 5). I even tried it on at Sephora, approved of the dramatic difference I saw, and bought it on the spot! So why am I no longer a fan?


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

FREE workspace through Loosecubes!

Do you ever need a comfortable work space or even just a desk when you're away from your home or office? This may especially apply to freelancers and students who usually park their butts at a local cafe only to feel the pressure to buy more coffee to stay there or have to deal with crying babies, bums, or crazy people.  But it can also be a fantastic option for those who have the freedom to work away from their office and gain productivity from being in a different environment!

Well, now you have the option of Loosecubes!  It's an online "booking" site for work space offered by various companies around the world. And many of the spaces are available at no charge!  That's because, according to the site, these businesses benefit from "meeting relevant professionals on an ongoing basis".  You also provide reviews for the space which may eventually be rented out for a fee in the future.

image via loosecubes.com