July 19, 2008

genius at work

Writing this post.  And waiting for a butter knife to be delivered by room service.

July 15, 2008

it’s not all cocktails and ballyhoo over here

Disclaimer: I stole my post title from an old post of Whoorl’s. But I’m not feeling too bad, since she’s taken over The Working Closet for me. Sort of comes out even, wouldn’t you say?

In my suitcase for BlogHer …

3 dresses

2 pairs of capri pants

3 pairs of jeans

1 skirt

3 sweaters (two cardis, one v-neck)

1 silk shell

2 tee shirts

3 tank tops

1 jacket

1 trench coat

5 pairs of shoes

Who needs five pairs of shoes, you ask? Well, no one really. But there they are.

Lest you think my entire trip will be one big party, I’ll let you in on what I’ve been up to this week: we are proud to announce the launch of BlogHer’s BeautyHacks, a community beauty product and how-to site. It’s the answer to your product prayers. It is ALSO a site that YOU can participate in — join BlogHer and start posting your own hacks. I’ll be spending a lot of my week schmoozing and boozing to promote the site.

Okay maybe this will be one big party. Whatever. Go check out the site! You’ll love it.

July 5, 2008

beach reading

May 20, 2008

a little perspective

Chris: Here’s the thing about being 40 …

Me: Yes?

Chris: When you’re 40 and you do something big, like write a book or get a really great job, people say, Oh that’s great, but they really just expect it from you, because you’re 40.

Me: Right.

Chris: But if you DIE? They say, Oh she was so young.

Me: I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right.

Chris: 40 is only young when you’re dead.

Me: That makes me feel good. Thanks.

May 8, 2008

it was this or a boob job

I’m testing mascaras, again; the L’Oreal Lash Out has been working pretty well, except that it dries out after about three weeks and so I am constantly tossing the tube. On the one hand, it’s like six bucks at the drugstore, so it’s not a huge investment to buy a new tube every month, but it seems like a tube of mascara should last longer than three weeks.

I’m also experimenting, again, with water resistant but not waterPROOF formulas; I am still skeptical that there is a water RESISTANT formula that will actually stay on all day, but I am optimistic at heart. And I read in the new Lucky magazine that wearing waterproof mascara every day can dry out your lashes, which is NOT something I need to be worrying about.

At all.

Currently I am wearing Clinique’s High Impact Mascara, not because I have any insight about Clinique’s mascaras but because my mom recently bought so much stuff at the Clinique counter that they gave her THREE gifts-with-purchase, and she brought me one, and there was a mascara in the cute pink makeup bag. So after I read the dire warnings about waterproof mascara (it will make your lashes BREAK OFF! the horror!) I dug out this free mascara because why not? How bad can it be?

It’s not bad, really. Although by the end of the day, I do have a little bit of raccoon face going on. But since my day begins at 5:00 am and ends at like 10:30, it’s no wonder I have mascara on my face, is it?

Metalia has recommended Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash; she likes the rubbery brush, and I am charmed by the hot pink tube. She swears that she’s wearing it without any flaking or raccooning, and I believe her because she is a product goddess. So that’s on my short list as well.

Also! I bought a box of false eyelashes earlier this week! Because I’m not going to have a boob job, so I’m thinking that maybe longer, thicker lashes might be the key to eternal youth. But I’m a little unnerved by the fact that the lashes came with GLUE but not REMOVER. Should I be worried about that? How do I get the lashes OFF at the end of the day? Help me, Internet.

And recommend some mascara while you’re at it.

May 7, 2008

the Great Mascara Road Test returns

Things my random Clinique mascara has outlasted today:

Torrential rainstorm during carpool.

Half an hour of having Chris try to explain how I can change my blog’s header (still not changed! not Chris’ fault though).

Six minutes of the Today Show pointing out that mommyblogging is the Next Big Thing, and an Easy Money Maker! Plus the added bonus of Kathie Lee Gifford telling the world that she doesn’t know how a computer works and she isn’t sure Heather Armstrong should be talking about her daughter in such a public way — woo good thing Kathie Lee never talked about HER kids in a public forum (banging my head on the table repeatedly did NOT hurt the mascara! amazing).

Hair cut and color (it’s even this time! woo! and since I’m a “mommyblogger” I get to write about things like that).

Forty five minute conference call, during which I did laundry (multi-tasking, you all).

Eye doctor appointment for kid (because we don’t go to the doctor ENOUGH around here).

Playdate with cute neighbor child (honestly an extra kid is SO MUCH EASIER — like a wee affordable babysitter).

Tornado emergency, which included strapping the bicycle helmets on the kids and piling them into the bathroom, where Henry IMMEDIATELY decided he needed to pee and my cell phone stopped working and Charlie finally realized that tornadoes are SCARY SCARY THINGS.

The tornado emergency was the real test: 125 mph straight line winds! and actual tornadoes! in my neighborhood! or close at least, but it was hard for the Storm Trackers to see because of the torrential rain and the fog! Either way, it was hard not to wonder if we were going to die. Or just lose our roof. (Neither happened, although my neighbor and I are mad that we didn’t run out and push the fence between our houses over, because we really want a new one, and 125 mph winds seem like a fence disaster waiting to happen.) My mascara was most certainly tested to its not-waterproof limits.

Tonight, when Wade got home, I said, “These are the days that you should be glad we have a good marriage. Because under different circumstances, a storm like that very well could be the last straw.”

Oh no wait, the Today Show already WAS the last straw. My bad.