Girlfriends and Makeup...

...Need I say more? Girlfriends + Makeup = good times

Last night, a couple of my best girlfriends and I went to the MAC cosmetics store to get our makeup done. Ann made the appointments a while ago and she, Shirley May, and I were all looking forward to it.

Being that I personally don't enjoy "too much" makeup, I was definitely nervous about it. Let's just say I like a more natural look and don't wear that much makeup everyday. I basically wear mascara (granted, lots of mascara, lol I love the look of long lashes!) and carmex on my lips most days, and on weekends I'll add eye shadow, maybe eye liner, and powder. I will admit that when the makeup artist was done with my makeup, I did think it was way too much eye makeup, but that is my opinion lol. I'm sure Ann and Shirley May had their own opinions.

I wish I had pictures of Ann and S. May's makeup up close because their makeup turned out beautifully! Their eye makeup was definitely full of color and ready for summer.

The only pics I have are of the 3 of us at Mall of America afterwards and my "haul". They're not the best quality since they were taken on my phone, but you'll get the point....we all bought a lot of stuff. Yet somehow, I feel like I need to go back to get more...uh oh....

Last night definitely reinforced one of my oldest beliefs...nothing is better than having great girlfriends...

Here are a couple pics of the girls and I with our MAC bags:




Some pictures of the "To The Beach" collection:








And now...drum roll please...my MAC haul and thoughts so far:

Products shown still in boxed packaging:



Products shown with packaging closed (so that you can see how cute this collection's packaging is!). The name of this collection is "To The Beach" and you can see the theme of it from the seashells, starfish, coral, and sea-horses throughout the line of products:



Products open to show color:



What I bought and my thoughts so far:

1) MAC Cleanse Off Oil
- this is an oil based (but mineral oil free, yay!) makeup remover. I saw great reviews on it on youtube, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was very gentle and not greasy at all (I have oily skin). It also didn't irritate my eyes like some other eye makeup removers have done in the past. You put it on dry and massage the oil on the areas where you want to remove your makeup and then add water to emulsify it into a milky-type cleanser and then rinse off. I'm so glad I bought this because I love it so far. Granted, last night was the first time I used it, but with all the makeup I had on my face (especially eye makeup), it took off EVERYTHING! Never in my quest for makeup removers has this happened. My hope is that it doesn't break me out. So far, so good, and by the way, my skin felt SO soft and not greasy at all afterwards. I still used my usual cleanser after this.

2) Powder Blush in Hipness
- one of the things I really wanted to get was a bright, summery blush that would give my face a pop of color. This blush was it. I liked the look of it so much yesterday that I used it today even though I didn't need to get ready. I was just excited to put the blush on again, and that, for me, is a great sign.

3) Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in Medium Dark
- I hate the feel of liquid foundation on my face, which is why I have barely ever used it. When I've wanted some coverage on my face or have zits I want to cover up, I've turned to Bare Escentuals for years. The makeup artist put this on my face and it felt even lighter than the Bare Escentuals powder foundation, which I didn't think was possible. I love this because it gives the coverage I want, while at the same time giving me a natural, glowy look. It feels like I have nothing on and maybe it's just me, but it seems like my skin is softer too after I put this on.

4) MAC 109 brush
- I still need to wash this brush and use it with the MSF (Mineralize Skin Finish), but when the makeup artist used it last night I just fell in love with it. It's a different brush with shorter, compact bristles, and so soft. I was told that it's a great brush for powder, blush, and contouring (not that I know how to contour). For some reason I have an obsession with makeup brushes, which is weird since I probably only need 2 or 3 brushes. I think it's because I like the way they feel on my face, lol. I am washing this brush later tonight and am looking forward to using it tomorrow!

5) Eye Shadows in Sand & Sun (matte, light peachy color) and Firecracker (veluxe pearl, deep hot pink color)
- I don't have much to say about these except that I really like the colors. They're different from anything else I have and I feel like I'll be able to use them with other more neutral colors too, hehe.

6) Lipglass Lip Gloss in Easy Lounger
- this one I'm not so sure about. I really liked it last night, but I used this again today and I didn't realize it had so many glitters in it! I stepped out into the sun, looked at my face, and my lips looked like a disco ball. It also left little pieces of glitter around my mouth where it must've rubbed off and I think it's so annoying when you have that one piece of glitter on your face just sitting there. I'm sad to say it, but this might be going back to MAC. On the bright side, maybe I will exchange it for something else?...

I wanted to end this entry with a quote I found (if you can't tell already, I'm a sucker for good quotes). Basically, like I've mentioned before, I believe so much that a great girlfriend is better than any medicine, any money, and dare I say, any makeup on a bad day. And even better on a good day. So to all my wonderful girlfriends who make me smile, laugh, and snort, this one's for you.

"We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun."

Ma

Mother's Day is coming up tomorrow, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to all the moms, mommies, and mamas out there.

Especially my Ma :)

Since I'm not a mother myself yet, I obviously don't know what it's like to be one. I don't have any amazing revelations to speak of either. Unfortunately, I'd be lying if I said that my mom is my best friend. It just didn't turn out that way, and there's no rhyme or reason to it, it just is what it is. Despite that though, I will say I have so much respect for her and love her SO much, more than I would ever be able to verbalize. The older I get, the more I realize what she, as a woman, has gone through in her life.

I love my mom and hope that as I get older, we get closer. She has done a lot for me and my brothers. She raised three amazing kids (I, of course, am the most amazing, haha) and to this day she still has a goofy, girly way about her. I love that the most about her. She also is somehow in her (ahem) mid-50s and still could pass for someone in her late 30s/early 40s. Soon we will really look like sisters (something she has always told me since I was in high school, lol).

I remember when I was a little girl she tried to do everything she could for us kids. At one point she was working 2 jobs trying to put us all through private school and she would still manage to give us great gifts on our birthdays and Christmas and say goodnight before she went to her night job. I can't say that she was the best cook, but she has definitely gotten better over the years ;)

I remember she always wanted me to be a "girly" girl, especially since I am the only daughter. She loved getting dressed up, fixing up her hair, and wearing makeup, and I guess she was hoping that those genes would pass onto me. What she got was a girl that never wanted to start wearing a training bra and cried to the point of almost puking when she tried to put makeup on me. A girl that voluntarily wore lip-gloss for the first time at the age of 17. To this day, I'm convinced that she got me to start dance classes just so she could cake makeup on my face for the dance recitals and I would have no choice but to oblige. Now, I actually like makeup and fixing my hair, so we get along so much better, lol. I actually remember a couple years ago when I bought her a Bare Escentuals mineral makeup kit and she wanted me to show her how to use it. There we were, in the bathroom of the home I grew up in, and I was putting makeup on my mom and my dad walked by and said, "Oh, so now the daughter is showing her mom how to do makeup" and walked away chuckling. I remember we just looked at each other and smiled. It is actually bringing tears to my eyes right now thinking about it. It's times like that when I get a glimpse of my mom unaltered that I cherish the most. She's this woman that came to the U.S. from the Philippines hoping to raise her children in a place and in an environment different from how she grew up. Like any mother I'm sure, one of her dreams was to have happy, healthy, thriving children. I believe she has succeeded, and will continue to do so.

The older I get,
the more I see
the power of that young woman,
my mother.
~ Sharon Olds

I'd Rather Be In Forks

Today is a very gloomy, rainy day...makes me think of Forks :)

I guess I'll make this my official coming out of the closet for being a crazy Twilight fan. TEAM EDWARD all the way! Period. I am a 12 year old trapped in a 30 year olds body when it comes to anything Twilight. I've read all of the books (more than once) and own both of the Twilight and New Moon movies...I guess I could go on and on, but just believe me when I say I'm crazy about anything Twilight related! I'm sure I will have more posts that mention Twilight, so don't think this is the last you've seen of my obsessed rants. Judge me if you want to, I'm not ashamed! :)

My husband luckily humors my obsession and OK'd my request to go to Forks when we took a trip to Seattle last year. Let me tell you, Forks is a beautiful area and it was great as a fan of the books to go there and see what Stephenie Meyer was writing about. The movies weren't filmed there, but if you've read the books, all the places are there. We went to Port Angeles and La Push too. It was almost surreal how spot on she was. I will say, I wanted to go to Forks because of the Twilight books, but I want to return again because of the town itself. It's so cute and everyone was so friendly. The Pacific Northwest area is just beautiful.

So here I am on this gloomy day with my sweatshirt on (that ironically says "Bitten and Smitten" lol) and thinking of a little town called Forks. Can't wait to go back.

I guess my main point of this post is that age is really just a number. Take any grown woman and put something in front of her that she is obsessed and in love with and she immediately becomes a little girl in heaven.

"Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." ~Samuel Ullman

Here are some pictures from our trip and some Twilight points of interest, hehehe.

Bella Italia, Port Angeles



Lincoln Movie Theatre, Port Angeles



Could this be the alley? hmm...




Edward? Bella? Are you in there?



FORKS!!!!! This is a much more subdued version of the picture I wanted to take at first sight of the sign lol



The main street in Forks, I think they only had a few stoplights...



Running to "Bella's truck" (yes, I know it's not REALLY her truck, but still)



"Ryan! Take a picture of me on this side too please..."



The Swan Residence



The Cullen Residence





CLIFF! La Push, WA
I think we all know what happens here...ok, well, I for sure know lol



La Push, WA
This log is where I pictured Bella and Jacob sitting (yes, when I saw this, I really did picture "them" sitting there...as in fictional characters sitting there, ok, sue me).



I am not kidding when I tell you that the Pacific Northwest is absolutely BEAUTIFUL...

QOTD (Quote of the Day)

I am determined to try and make regular blog entries, and this is a feeble attempt to make one today since my day was honestly not that interesting (it is a Monday, after all).

I came across this quote today and thought it would be fitting...

"Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone."
~Jim Fiebig

This just made me chuckle because I can't remember how many times I've been enjoying ice cream and it either spilled on me or on the table or fell on the ground. It really is a feeling of extreme disappointment.

I have a love for ice cream and an even bigger love for gelato. If you know me, I've raved about gelato ever since I went to Italy in 2004. I have yet to find a gelato that tastes that good. Ring Mountain in Eagan, MN, does have really good ice cream and gelato though...hmmm...and it's only a couple miles from my house... (cue the raising of the eyebrow...).

Sadly, the picture of me and my first gelato is not on this computer so I can't upload it right now :(

Instead, I'll leave you with an array of gelato...this picture was taken in San Francisco and was pretty good, I can't remember the name of the place though...

Defying Gravity

How would you define aging gracefully?

Is it looking 10 years younger than you are? Seeing a classy and put together woman in her 40s, 50s, 60s... and still pulling it off? Is it the ability to maintain both beauty and brains for as long as possible?

I'm not quite sure myself, but for right now, I guess I feel like aging gracefully for me would be the accumulation of all of these things:
- looking younger than I am
- maintaining and improving my memory (the people that know me might be chuckling to themselves right now...I have a horrible memory already)
- being a good wife, friend, sister, daughter...someday mother, grandmother...
- laughing every day
- being physically active
- having a positive attitude
- learning from my mistakes, and sharing the wisdom that came from them
- defying gravity as much as possible without surgery (aka hopefully not looking too much like a sharpei and keeping the girls up!)
- learning something new every day
- not sweating the small stuff

I'm sure I've missed other qualities, but for now these are what come to mind. I do know though that aging is a gift. I guess so far I haven't had any problems with aging or turning 30 because my view on it has always been, it's better to turn 30, than not turn 30. I see and hear people whining about getting older and I always think in my head, well what would you rather have? the alternative? It just doesn't seem right to me. Some people don't even live to see 30, and for that reason, all I can be right now is grateful. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure I've done it myself, it's only human to do so. But I guess I try to make a conscious effort to not do it so much.

So now that I am stepping off of my soap box, I wanted to mention that I did something yesterday to address my "defying gravity" portion of steps to aging gracefully. I bought an eye cream. I've been using drugstore brand eye creams for a couple years now (not religiously), but I thought I'd try a department store brand. A friend of mine told me that you should start using eye cream when you turn 25. I started at 27 or 28, so I'm a bit behind.

I decided to purchase Clinique All About Eyes Rich, recommended by a friend (photo courtesy of sephora.com).



I don't have any wrinkles around my eyes yet, but I do sometimes notice dryness on my upper eyelid. I'm using this more as a preventative measure. I tried it out for the first time last night and it's texture is richer than the other brand I had and seemed more moisturizing and not greasy. So far, so good. The products claims are: "diminishes the look of undereye circles, shadows, puffs and fine lines—immediately and over time. Helps boost natural collagen production. De-puffs with calming botanicals. Even strengthens skin’s moisture barrier against common irritants." I guess only time will tell if this product works or not. Ask me in 10 years I guess!

I think another part of being able to age gracefully is maintaining good relationships with the people you love. I shopped with a couple of my best girlfriends yesterday and that always boosts my mood. Girlfriends (especially mine) are wonderful to have for those kinds of stories and laughs that only girls can share together. Very few things in life can beat an afternoon of coffee, conversation, laughter, and shopping with my girls.

I guess the choices we make today will eventually creep up on us in the years to come, which is why I am going to get off the computer, go outside, and enjoy this beautiful day. Here's to aging gracefully...

What day is it?

No, this question is not due to old age...

I asked "What day is it?" a lot a couple weeks ago because I was in Kauai to celebrate my 30th birthday with my husband, Ryan! My lost sense of time was not only due to the plane ride or the time difference (5 hours behind), but because we were so relaxed we didn't want to move forward in time so fast...if that makes any sense...

I can't imagine a better way to turn 30. Being in what I consider paradise with my husband, relaxing on the beach every day, and not having an itinerary was ideal. I will admit at first I was worried about not having an itinerary because I "didn't want to miss anything". But what I didn't realize is what happens when I don't have an itinerary (light bulb moment coming) is that I DON'T miss anything. I was able to experience everything, see everything, feel everything. I thought I did the first time we were in Kauai, but really, I didn't. I was so caught up in taking pictures and making sure we saw this and saw that. This time, I walked in the sand a little slower, stared out into the ocean a little longer, and put my camera down to see what was in front of me with my own two eyes.

Don't get me wrong, we did go and see some sites, but overall, we were beach bums, food tasters, and people watchers...it was truly wonderful! And I did take pictures, just not as many as usual for me, haha. Throughout this blog, you will probably notice a lot of references to photography. It's one of my passions, and a big reason why you will see lots of photos that I've taken.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.

When we landed, Ryan surprised me with a welcome lei (stop it, you dirty minds!). Then we headed off to our hotel and were pleasantly surprised by the view from our hotel room.

(photos courtesy of my iPhone, which is so far the best invention ever. Other photos are taken by Hubert (my Nikon D40, yes, I named him) or my smaller digital Canon Power Shot SD750 camera, which for some reason has no name...sad).





We decided to go to Waimea Canyon on our first full day there. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we wanted to take advantage of the full sunlight and clear sky. The last time we were in Kauai, it rained or was cloudy almost every day and when we went to see Waimea Canyon, we couldn't see 5 feet in front of us (let alone the canyon)...very disappointing. This time, Ryan was determined that I would finally see my first canyon! Our other attempt of seeing the Grand Canyon did not bode well either...don't get me started.

So...off we went to go see Waimea Canyon! We rode in the rental car with our windows down, sunglasses on, and smiles on our faces because it was a beautiful, clear day! There was no way we wouldn't be able to see the canyon, right? Right??? Wrong! We got to the very first lookout and there it was...again...fog. We couldn't believe it. There literally was a patch of clouds and fog just surrounding the canyon. I was so upset that I wanted to huff and puff my way out of there like a kid in her terrible twos. We watched as others left with the look of disappointment on their faces and I urged Ryan to just leave so that we could at least get to the beach. It was like deja vu for me, I was so upset! And there he was, my patient husband, looking up in the clouds and trying to peer out in the direction of where the canyon would be. And all he said was, "give it one more minute..."

Less than 30 seconds later...we saw this...



Once again, Ryan taught me the virtue of patience. I am slowly trying to incorporate it into my attitude. It definitely is a slow and study progress!

We took so many pictures at the canyon that I can't possibly post them all here, but take my word for it, it was breathtaking.






After some more lookouts, hiking, and some lunch, Ryan and I headed to the beach.

Here are some of the beach pictures I really liked from the trip.











The day of my actual birthday, we went to the Allerton Garden, which is a national tropical botanical garden located in the south shore of Kauai. The tour was beyond my expectations and was absolutely beautiful. From the minute we got there I knew we were going to love it. Our tour guide, Juan, made the tour even better. The story he told us about how he fell in love with the island brought tears to my eyes. He spoke so well about his love for the land that I won't even attempt to repeat it here.

Instead, here are some pictures from Allerton Garden. I think there's a saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words". Well, there aren't enough words to describe this place. Enjoy!

When I think of "Hawaii", this is the view that I picture:









Moreton Bay Fig Trees (aka "Jurassic Park trees")...you can see how little we were compared to them.



























After Allerton Garden, we grabbed some lunch and went to...guess! The Beach!! We spent the afternoon at the beach reading, lounging, and people watching. We even saw a seal that parked itself right on shore to join everyone in the same sun worshipping position.



I even read halfway through Dear John while on vacation (way better than the movie, don't get me started). Ryan and I even picked up a couple beach chairs while in Kauai, which was why we had to buy a bigger luggage so we could bring them back with us, lol. We just couldn't part with them.



Ryan's buddy, Mr. Penguin, even made it to the beach with us! He is really racking up his frequent flyer miles!



Ahhhh....the beach. Sometimes I sit at work and close my eyes and pretend that I'm digging my sunkissed and perfectly polished toes into the warm sand, with the wind blowing the palm trees above us, and the sunlight dancing on the ocean water in front of me. I can almost hear the waves too...







The night of my birthday, Ryan took me to the Beach House Restaurant in Poipu. It's supposed to be one of the best places to have dinner and watch the sunset, and it really was! What I loved most about this place was that we literally spent all afternoon at the beach (hence my makeup free, greasy face...you'll see in pictures later...) and then walked into this higher end restaurant and did not feel the least bit uncomfortable. I was worried that we weren't dressed up enough since Ryan said it was a "nicer" restaurant, but when we walked in, we saw people in Hawaiian shirts, tank tops, and flip flops mixed with people in khakis and dresses. Definitely not pretentious at all, which I was so happy about because I tend to feel uncomfortable in "fancy" restaurants. Ryan said it the best when we walked in: "See, you can't be too fancy on this island...it's an island." Why is he always right!? The look and feel of the restaurant was perfect. The floor to ceiling windows opened up to the beach..they were pretty much sliding glass doors I guess, but that's a poor description. Our table was right next to the doors that were opened up to the beach, it was a perfect view of the sunset. We even walked in and out of the restaurant that way to just stand outside while we waited for our meal or to take pictures. Every time we came back in, our napkins were folded again and waiting for us. I just thought that was a nice touch by our waiter.

Here are some pictures from the restaurant and dinner...the food was SO delicious!

Waiting at the bar for our table...



My birthday drink!



Both of our meals were delicious!!!! We started off with a crab cake appetizer for me and a seafood soup for Ryan. It's too bad I dug into my crab cake too fast because it tasted even better than it looked. Then I ordered a fish of the day and prawns combo, while Ryan got...guess....pork chops! Yes, we were 20 feet from the beach and the man got pork chops! I will even admit that I initially dug into my entree before taking the picture so I had to reassemble it as well as I could, hahaha.





mmmm.....dessert.....



like I said, greasy, makeup-free face...what a horrible picture, but what a beautiful sunset



A couple pictures outside of the restaurant after sunset...





Ok, this entry is getting WAY too long. I promise, they are usually not this extensive...I am just trying to make up for not blogging that much during my first couple weeks of being 30 :)

I will leave you with some random pictures and pictures of just a few of the scrumptious foods Ryan and I had while in Kauai. I wish I hadn't inhaled most of the things we ate so I could have more pictures to share with you, but hey, what can ya do ;)

These crazy roosters and chickens were all over the place in Kauai...every time Ryan saw one (or two, or three...), he would say "let's go to Ray J's when we get back home" (a great place for chicken wings). And people say I'm sick?



banana macadamia nut waffle = heaven



Tropical Taco in Hanalei...probably the best fish taco I've ever had!



I heart mermaids :)



Ryan's favorite meal from our last time in Kauai during our honeymoon...he was so looking forward to Puka Dog again. I was only able to take a picture of the sign since he had eaten it already by the time I realized I should take a picture lol.



The Fish Hut...a cute little stand where I had the best...shrimp! Hahaha, they had really good fish too :)



Before and After of THE BEST SHAVE ICE EVER!!! It was called the Lava Flow, a mix of strawberry, pineapple, and coconut syrup, with an "ice cap" (vanilla bean cream on top of the shave ice) and a hidden scoop of macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom of the container! My mouth is salivating just thinking about it....





My monkey man, with his monkey berry smoothie from Java Kai, my FAVORITE coffee place in Kauai. If you ever go there, try their Maui mocha...a mocha with a hint of coconut...drool....



All I have left to say is this was, once again, a wonderful trip. Ryan couldn't have done any better for my 30th birthday. I am a lucky girl indeed.