New look!

What do you think?

Thank you, North Carolina....

...for not being a total fry in the Miss USA competition last night, unlike your friends Miss Arizona and Miss California.

The top 5 went into the Q&A segment. The first questions were easy and the second were more difficult, such as the questions asked of Arizona and California....

Miss Arizona: Keenan Thompson, celebrity pageant judge, asked if the USA should have healthcare coverage as a right of citizenship.

I can't find a quote, but she essentially dodged the question entirely, talking about politics and how she doesn't get into those arguements or something. It was weird.

Miss California: Perez Hilton, celebrity pageant judge, asked what her thoughts were on legalizing gay marriage in the US.

Her response: "We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised."

Which of course was met with mixed reactions from the crowd -- some certainly booed but others, being they were in Texas, cheered. It was really quite appauling.

First of all, NO. People can't choose same-sex marriage. That's the point of the question. (And WTF is opposite marriage??)

I understand that you feel in your church that marriage should be between a man and a woman - no government will force churches to start marrying gays. BUT, from a legal right perspective, don't you think the courts can allow them to marry?

Oh, and honey you may want to watch your back. There are plenty of gays in the pageant circuit, likely including but not limited to: your stylist, your hair dresser, your makeup artist, the pageant producers, etc. Not to mention the fact that you represent CALIFORNIA and they'll likely have a bit of backlash for you..... Good luck with that.

Don't Forget -- Sunday Secrets

REPOST -- This week's secrets are up!

Because I routinely forget, I've decided that I'm going to post weekly reminders about Post Secret's "Sunday Secrets" ...to remind YOU to check them out!

If you haven't seen it before POST SECRET is an art project - turned blog, book, and travelling art show - to which people send in postcards with anonymous "secrets" written on them. (ALSO -- they post extra items on their Twitter page, so be sure to follow them there!)

I love Post Secret as it routinely makes me forget about my own problems, or makes me feel like I'm not the only one.... I'm not the only one with flaws, regrets, doubts, fears, or various idiosyncrasies or oddities. Different postcards help me reflect on different moments in my life and bring me momentary peace and "in-tunedness" with the world.... maybe it'll bring you the same.

TODAYS FAVORITES

Camera Ready: A Product Spotlight AND Technique Tutorial!

There are so many people who just don't seem to get it when it comes to mascara and curling eyelashes. I find lashes to be a fairly important feature when it comes to makeup. Like the icing on the cake.... Cue blog post.

I consider myself to be a bit of a LASH MASTER. You can tell me how you have short, stubby or really thin lashes, but somehow I'll still make you look like this ----->

What's that you say? You don't WANT to look like you're wearing feathers on your eyelids? Oh come on. Incase of dusting emergencies!! Eeew.

Alright fine. I'll tone it down a bit for you.

There are three important aspects to fab lashes: curling the lashes, mascara and application technique. Let's delve into all three, shall we?


CURLING

Most men and makeup-challenged women will look at an eyelash curler and see a medieval torturing device. BE NOT AFRAID. If 12 year-olds can do it, so can you.

The tool of choice: The shu uemura. It is, as their site states, emblematic.

Curling should be done before any eye makeup is applied. Open the curler, position the silver top bar right down along the lash line and against the lid, take a few seconds to make sure all the lashes are in between and then press together. This spot on the lashes is where you want the most bend, as it will make your lashes appear longer from straight on.

BUT, don't stop there! Move the curler out a bit on the lashes and pinch them there gently, move it out a little further and pinch there too. Look closely at your eyelashes, though, as you don't want the tips to be pointing back towards the lids. That indicates you've curled too much at the midpoints.


MASCARA

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to mascara. I, for one, can't wear anything but waterproof. I can't explain it, but NON waterproof makes my pre-curled lashes straighten back out. Frustration ensues. So, I don't fight it and stick to the WP formulas.

While it's difficult to find that one kind that works well on everyone, I think I may have found a contender or two....

#1 Budget Fave: CoverGirl Lash Blast - While I tire of the "Fat tube = FAT lashes!" concept, I absolutely love this stuff - both the formula and the brush. (Although it's a bit TOO fat at the end for those little lashes.)

#2 Splurge Fave: Chanel Inimitable - Ahhhh perfection. For a mere $29 a tube, it can be yours. :::pauses::: My thoughts exactly.

APPLICATION

For many mascaras, a brand new tube means too much product comes out on the brush. A quick swipe through a piece of paper, paper towel or rough (so as not to leave lint) tissue/toilet paper should solve those goopy messy woes of a new tube.

Wiggle the brush side to side at the roots of the lashes to get the bristles in between them. Move the brush outward, continuing a little of the side-t0-side to get a good coating. Add a couple more swipes to complete the first coat.

After you've finished up the "first coat," it's important to take this moment to separate your lashes while they're still tacky from the mascara.

I SWEAR by metal eyelash combs a la the one at right by Sonia Kashuk (Target!). Nothing works better to really get in there, separate the lashes, get rid of gobs and make them look feathery.

Once you've done some separating, you can apply another coat. Annnnnd again, grab your comb and separate. This repetition will build up the thickness of the lashes while maintaining the separation.

Voila. Hope this brings you to a new level of lashiness.

The sun'll come ooooout tooooomorrow.... and the day after, and the day after.

I am so freaking happy about the weather lately. This is absolute perfection. Glorious sunshine, temperate 60's, and Minnesotans curing their cabin fever, outside in droves.... seriously, there are SO. MANY. PEOPLE. outside!!!

A few years ago, a relative from Texas was up here visiting in the spring / summer / fall (clearly I've forgotten). She could not get over how many people there were outdoors.... everywhere. Walking the paths, biking, running, playgrounds full of kids, softball diamonds, soccer fields, picnic tables, mini malls, people everywhere. Happy people. I was surprised by this. Wait just a darn sec, you live in Austin, TX where people can and SHOULD be out all the time. Why is this shocking?

I think that here up Nort' we have a particular appreciation for sunshine and tolerable temps (this varies)... it's as if life outside beckons us out of our homes, especially come April. Our cabin fever drives us to near incapacitating levels of crazy, so we burst out the doors like we've been imprisoned for decades.... and sometimes it sure feels like it!

This weather has prompted me to make my own sort of commitment to the great outdoors (and it truly is great) -- I want to see more of it, enjoy more of it and soak in every possible drop of beautiful earth, water and sky I possibly can. What does that mean exactly? It means happy hours on patios, cleaning off that bike on the balcony and using it, cleaning off the BALCONY so we can actually sit out there, softball two nights a week, POOL time as often as possible with whomever may care to join me, walking around Como, Saints games, more than one trip up to the lake, playing outside with my freakishly adorable nephew, BBQs (but not at our place sorry!), petitioning for an invite to Andrea's family boat (K. Syrah), hell even sitting out on a blanket with a friend and a bottle of wine (or Boone's Farm as we did in college, watching the boys play football... sighhhh).

SO..... care to join me??