Birthday Bonanza!

I survived another birthday and it was definitely a success!  My cell phone was beeping all day with messages of celebration and love; in addition, there were tons of greetings on Facebook from everyone under the sun so that gave me the warm fuzzies. 

My boss and co-workers took me to lunch at the company restaurant, which ended up with me being serenaded by the wait staff and then presented with this cotton candy confection!  After lunch the king of all birthday singers at work escorted me to the lobby while he and more co-workers hollered a howl to again recognize my big day.  I was definitely feeling the love!

After work I swung by the house and picked up my boys along with four of their buddies so we could continue the party at Red Lobster.  Now, my initial wish may have been to celebrate my birthday with six handsome strapping men; unfortunately, I didn't specify the appropriate age range so my birthday included me being surrounded by six teenage guys.  However, the kids are like my second sons and they were delighted to be involved in my party so in the end it was fabulous.  Especially when they continued to mention "you look good for 23!".  Gotta love 'em!

Birthday dessert

My harem of men

Happy Birthday Twin and Diva Today!!!

Just sending a shout out to.....myself, along with my twin brother Todd today as it is our birthday!!  Yee haw and let's get the party started!!!

P is for Psychosis

Yes, I'm feeling my age.  Actually, I'm feeling someone else's age, more like a 68-year old!  I'm continuing to battle with my asthma/respiratory illness, which forced me to go back to my doctor last week to utter my oh so familiar cry - "Give me more drugs!!"  After shedding a few tears while begging the nurses to get me in for an early appointment (it was obvious they felt a psychotic break was about to occur so they tried their damnest to get me in to see someone), I was happy that I was able to see my regular doctor to discuss my health.

After giving me kudos about my recent blood tests and weight loss, she made some changes to my allergy and asthma medication then placed me on the big guns of steroids - prednisone.  I was previously on this for five days but she felt my lungs needed the all out 21-day course of this treatment.  Yikes.....have done this once before and it is not enjoyable.   Common side effects with short term prednisone use are as follows:

*Many patients notice fluid retention often in the ankles, but sometimes all over.
*Appetite tends to be increased, and weight gain is common even with short term use.
*Anxiety, agitation, and nervousness are also common prednisone side effects.
*Insomnia can be a common result of these psychological prednisone side effects.
*Elevation of blood sugar is common, often leading to a diagnosis of diabetes in patients not previously known to have diabetes.
*Suppression of the immune system is a nearly universal prednisone side effect, and is related directly to its mechanism of use. This is usually not of clinical significance, but it can lead to delayed wound healing in postoperative patients.
*Acid dyspepsis, gastritis, and peptic ulcers are occasionally seen as prednisone side effects.

So, now I'm experiencing appetite increase, fluid retention, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, bitchiness, and heart burn.  All of this on top of an uncontrollable cough which at times leads to urinal leakage; to stop this, I've stocked up on the favorite of all female adolescents who have just experienced their first period - maxi pads.  Damn!!!  And I thought 2012 was going to start off great!  Well, it can only go up from here, Divas!!!

Seriously with the Skype?

Apparently Skype is son Jordan's new friend.  On one hand, this Internet tool makes it easier for him to communicate face-to-face with his dad.  On the other hand, it makes it easier for his dad to communicate with me!!

Jordan bounded downstairs this evening with his dad in hand, well, with his laptop in hand that contained his dad via Skype.  It was odd seeing this bodiless head of his father being cradled in Jordan's arms as he conversed with me through the laptop screen.   Technology has just gone too far when the vision of my ex-husband can waft through my home in order to carry on a conversation with me.  Too high tech and just too darn strange!!

ANTM - Where Are They Now?

I'm currently kicking back and watching a Sunday marathon of America's Next Top Model from 2004, which made me wonder "what happened to all those ANTM winners?"  I found the following link, which reviews what the winners have been doing since they were crowned the winner of their season.

Pinterest Piques My Interest

The following items I found from the new "in" website Pinterest, which is an on-line "pin board where you can share and organize all the things you love."  There are a ton of things you can review on this site; I put in to become a member but there is a waiting list.  We'll see what happens but a person could spend several hours just viewing through everyone else's favorite things.

Zippidee Zoya!

A new nail polish was included in my Birch Box collection that I received this past week.  I just love getting surprise boxes filled with all sorts of cosmetic goodies and trial sizes.  This month's box included a Zoya Winter Neutral Cream Nail Polish in Kendal.  I took it today when I got myself a mani/pedi; the color turned out fantastic.  I was lucky enough to be the only one in the salon this afternoon so I had one gal working on my hands while the other worked on my feet.  Soooo relaxing and just what I needed.





Finished Zoya nails

In Honor of Valentine's Day - Love Addiction

There was an interesting article today on the Huffington Post titled Can You Really Be Addicted to Love?, by Catherine Townsend.  An excerpt:

Another question: "Do you find that you have a pattern of repeating bad relationships?" could also be responded to affirmatively by almost every person I know. It also pretty much sums up every plot line in "Sex and the City". But maybe that's just me. Other questions were more intense, but upon completing the whole questionnaire I got the message: "Have you ever thought that there might be more you could do with your life if you were not so driven by sexual and romantic pursuits?" Well, hell yes! The problem is, we're all instructed from a very young age that our main goal in life is to find our perfect soul-mates. T.V. show and movies and ad campaigns are constantly selling us on this airy idea of everlasting romance. But re-reading fairy tales through the prism of self-help books is not a pretty picture. After all, The Little Mermaid had to give up her voice to stalk some guy she barely knew (in the original version of the fairy tale, she was offered a knife to stab the Prince, but was turned into sea foam instead!). Snow White found herself in a coma surrounded by a crew of necrophiliac dwarfs, and Cinderella's love-starved sisters cut off their toes to fit into her glass slippers.

From Romeo and Juliet (underage bride, double suicide) to Wuthering Heights (animal torture, violent death) and Jane Eyre (insane hidden wife, arson), every great love story had two things in common: A healthy dose of suffering and a body count. Not to be outdone, Hollywood has offered up heroes like Lloyd Dobler, super-stalker. For women who aren't old enough to remember an era before trench coats in high school were considered threatening, the movie featured John Cusack as a lovable teen outcast, dumped by his brainy valedictorian, who then parked himself outside her bedroom window holding a boom box. Where once I saw cute, I now see as creepily codependent. Lloyd was just one of a long line of romantic heroes who deserved a restraining order.

The article points out that love addicts have typical traits: They are often abandoned by one parent and spend lots of time alone, fantasizing about connecting to someone.  Ouch - that hits pretty close to home for me. 

If the above piques your interest, read the article for more thought-provoking information.  The following quiz I grabbed from the Sex Love Addicts Anonymous website.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SEX AND LOVE ADDICTION - from www.slaafws.org

1. Having few healthy boundaries, we become sexually involved with and/or emotionally attached to people without knowing them.

2. Fearing abandonment and loneliness, we stay in and return to painful, destructive relationships, concealing our dependency needs from ourselves and others, growing more isolated and alienated from friends and loved ones, ourselves, and God.

3. Fearing emotional and/or sexual deprivation, we compulsively pursue and involve ourselves in one relationship after another, sometimes having more than one sexual or emotional liaison at a time.

4. We confuse love with neediness, physical and sexual attraction, pity and/or the need to rescue or to be rescued.

5. We feel empty and incomplete when we are alone. Even though we fear intimacy and commitment, we continually search for relationships and sexual contacts.

6. We sexualize stress, guilt, loneliness, anger, shame, fear and envy. We use sex or emotional dependence as substitute for nurturing, care, and support.

7. We use sex and emotional involvement to manipulate and control others.

8. We become immobilized or seriously distracted by romantic or sexual obsession or fantasies.

9. We avoid responsibility for ourselves by attaching ourselves to people who are emotionally unavailable.

10. We stay enslaved to emotional dependency, romantic intrigue, or compulsive sexual activities.

11. To avoid feeling vulnerable, we may retreat from all intimate involvement, mistaking sexual and emotional anorexia for recovery.

12. We assign magical qualities to others. We idealize and pursue them, then blame them for not fulfilling our fantasies and expectations.

TGIF!!!

Ombre Hair - In or Out?

Drew Barrymore was on the cover of my new In Style magazine, which my BFF got me for Christmas.  She was showing off her "ombre" hair color, which I'm digging right now.  Should I get my hair done that way?  Or is this color trend on its way out?  I know Drew recently dyed her hair red.  They were recapping her hair color and style over the years and she just owned every single one of them with no apology.  That's why I like her so much!!

Drew ombre hair

Another chick sporting the ombre look is Alexa Chung.  I stumbled across her on the new show 24 Hour Catwalk  and wondered "who the hell is this person?"  I had heard her name before but didn't know her history, as follows:

Alexa Chung ombring it

Prior to “24-Hour Catwalk,” Alexa hosted the weekly music show “Gonzo” in London and variety talk show “It’s On With Alexa Chung” in New York, both for MTV. Earlier this year she co-hosted NBC’s “2011 Golden Globes Arrivals Special” alongside Carson Daly and Natalie Morales. Before moving to the U.S., Alexa hosted several high-profile U.K. pop-culture shows including “Popworld,” “Frock Me,” “Fashion Fix” and the music program “Freshly Squeezed.”

Alexa can regularly be seen in top-tier publications around the globe, with 2011 alone finding her on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK, Harper’s Bazaar Australia, British Vogue, Vogue North Korea and Teen Vogue. In 2010, she was featured in the August issue of American Vogue’s “Age Issue,” in which she was interviewed by Sally Singer and shot by Mario Sorrenti. Anna Wintour has described Chung as “a phenomenon,” while The New York Times has declared her “the Kate Moss of the new generation.” Karl Lagerfeld has described her as “beautiful and clever … a modern girl.”

Since 2009, Alexa has been a contributing editor to British Vogue and has interviewed designers such as Lagerfeld and Christopher Kane for the publication, as well as provided her own original features. Last fall, Alexa collaborated with J. Crew’s Madewell on a womenswear line, “Alexa Chung for Madewell.” The debut collection, which launched in coordination with Vogue’s “Fashion’s Night Out,” sold out various pieces within minutes. The second collection debuted in September 2011 to even greater fanfare, crashing Madewell.com moments after it was made available. Alexa has been featured in ad campaigns for Lacoste’s “Joy of Pink” fragrance, Vero Moda, Superga, MOGG, and DKNY and Pepe Jeans, and serves as an ambassador to Chopard, NARS and Chanel, among others. In 2009, the luxury handbag company Mulberry created a much sought-after bag named after and inspired by Chung, called “The Alexa,” an item that currently has a waiting list of over 50,000.

Alexa is an avid music fan and DJ, and recently presented the iTunes Festival for ITV2. She currently resides in New York City.

So there you have it regarding fashion muse Alexa Chung!  Alexa is also a Scorpio who shares her birthday with my bestie, November 5!!

Curse You Cold Sore!!!

Last Sunday rolled around and I began to sense a slight tingling in my lip.  Drats....is that a cold sore I felt?  In order to be safe, I beat feet to Rite Aid to grab a container of Herpecin, Abreva, or Campho Phenique - anything to abolish the impending lip sore.

I ended up purchasing the Rite Aid brand of Abreva - cheaper, but the same.  I swaddled my lips with the Blistex-smelling ointment.  The tingling subsided; however, I wasn't going to be lulled into denial so I continued to apply the medicine throughout the day.

Monday arrived and there was no cold sore!  Yay!!  However, for preventative sakes, I continued to apply the camphor-scented lip rub.  (Did you know embalming fluid contains camphor?  Yeah...that's what my lips felt like - embalmed!)  It appeared the miracle drug had kept the fever blister at bay.

Or had it?  Today I totally forgot about the impending doom, the silent annihilator, the hulking herpe that threatened to destroy my mouth.  It wasn't until tonight when I fell asleep briefly in the recliner then woke up to a lip that had swollen to twice its size that I realized the cold sore had risen its ugly head!

I quickly ran to my purse, grabbed the miracle ointment, and smeared it on the ballooned blob that I previously referred to as my lips.  Ahhh....relief. 

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed that this fever blister, which in Latin is known as antikissingruinmysinglelifeherpecide, is gone before the weekend!!

It's not collagen, it's a cold sore!

Nerd to the Max!

I've been invited to my fellow Aquarian Christina's Nerd Birthday Bash next Saturday.  The big question is....what to wear?  I actually have several of the items below, such as a plaid skirt, Star Trek tee, animal hat, nerd glasses, comic books, white thigh highs, animal print converse-type tennies, and even a chicken purse, which would fit in nicely with the theme.  Wow, guess I'm a nerd at heart!!

Any ideas for nerd cosmetics?  From all I can read on line, it appears nerds wear "no makeup".  Sorry, but this Diva won't go that route!!!  I gotta put on some eye shadow, mascara and, the big necessity, lip gloss!!!

Marketing Ploy Full of Hot Air

I ran across this ad last night when I was reading my new Allure magazine.  It claims the photo has not been retouched.  It also states it has been "certified by a notary public."  Paleez!  A notary public (of which I am one) verifies signatures; they can also certify that you are telling the truth but not that the item in front of them is the truth itself.  Perhaps the ad is retouched; perhaps it isn't.  I just know by making that statement it certainly clouds the authenticity of the ad.

All I Want for Valentine's Day Is.......

This rhinestoned Diva'd box of chocolates!!  Ran across this today at Walmart; I was so proud of my self-control as I resisted purchasing it!!

Shoe of the Week

In case you were coveting a new shoe for Valentine's Day 2012!!

Saturday Celebrity Gossip

The gossip news today outlined that Heidi Klum would be filing for divorce from Seal this week.  How sad!  They seemed like such a happy couple - renewing their vows every year, hosting parties together, and both dedicated to family.  However, I guess you never know what goes on in their private lives.

I had high hopes for them!

In other salacious news, it appears that Khloe Kardashian may be the daughter of OJ Simpson based upon an affair her mother had with him while she was still married to Robert Kardashian.  Sure the height is there but I doubt this mystery will ever be investigated or solved.

Khloe and OJ - Daughter and Dad?

OJ's daughter Sydney and Khloe - resemblance?

I Just Love Marilyn!!

Chocolate Fest 2012

I'm not sure I can resist this event, which is starting tonight at the Oregon Convention Center.  I have my third day off from work today, due in part to my own choosing along with complications at work from the weather (i.e., no power.)  Perhaps I'll partake in a little chocolate indulgence tonight or tomorrow!!!

OREGON CONVENTION CENTER

Portland, Oregon
January 20 – 22, 2012

ChocolateFest promises you the opportunity to sample, taste, savor, and delight in some of the finest chocolate from the Northwest and beyond. Ticket price includes admission to ChocolateFest, all the presentations, and free samples that vendors are giving out.

Best of all, by attending the event, eating some chocolate and having fun, you are helping to support the World Forestry Center, a local non profit dedicated to teaching about forests, trees and environmental sustainability.

TGIF!!!

Perhaps Fringe Will Be Next on the Menu

Say you want to spice up your sex life.....would you go as far as to decorate your girly parts to enhance the mood?  Or maybe you are single (such as myself) and you want to simply put a little va-voom to your bod so you are entertained every time you change clothes.  Does anything go?

Apparently, according to Completely Bare, the in place to be waxed in New York, it's okay to add a little umph to your va jay jay.  I ran across this website because the owner, Cindy Barshop, was part of the last Real Housewives of New York show on Bravo.( I love me some housewives having cat fights all over New York, Atlanta, Orange County, and Bevery Hills.)  Cindy's latest ideas on how to add some decor to your private parts are as follows:

Vatooing - Yes, some temporary tattos can be applied just about anywhere to provide a little surprise to your nether region.  This is pretty tame based upon the additional services Completely Bare provides.

Vajeweling - We've all heard of this - Swarovski crystals glued to your girly parts to provide shimmering enhancement. Can you say itching?  Catching on underwear?  The urge to scratch in the most inappropriate place during the most inappropriate moments, such as business meetings?   

Foxy Bikini - One of the latest treatments is the Foxy Bikini, which features fox fur applied to the bikini area by a specialist, following any laser or wax treatment.  Um, you are going to wax your hoo-ha just to add a toupee to it?  That seems to defeat the purpose.  The website states this look will last three days, which begs the question "what happens to it when you take a shower?"  I imagine you end up with a matt of fur resembling a cat's hairball.  Now that's enticing!!

Carnivale Bikini - Here's the ultimate treat for your vaginal region - feathers!  Or "uber trendy feathers" as they are described on the website.  I'm just picturing pulling off my pants for my man and exhibiting this little design.  Obviously I'm not an exotic dancer (i.e., stripper) so how would one explain this look?  Tickle you with a feather?  I was feeling Brazil today?   And how would tuck these little buggers into your underwear? 



Going out on a limb here, I have a good idea that most men would find these vaginal decorations off-putting, disturbing, or just plain weird.  What do you think?



Snow Bearable

It's official - snow has arrived, at least for one day.  No school for the kids, no work for mama, and I slept in until 7:20.  Ahhh.   I'm thankful the rain will arrive this afternoon or tomorrow which will make my commute more bearable,  Today calls for some homemade chicken soup, warm cookies for the boys, and a good movie!

Enjoy your snow Divas!!!

View from my front window

Fashion Recap from the Golden Globes

Award season has just begun, moving slowly toward my favorite The Oscars!  The Golden Globes were on Sunday, which means it's time to diss or give kudos to the fashionable crowd!

First, the Bad - Hmm...it seems most of my bad selections were of the cream or white variety (along with banana, purple, and tie dye.)  Misshapen, ill-fitting, and just sad.  I mean, look at Kristen Wigg in the middle top photo....cheer up!!!

As for the Good, I've chosen the following.  Rooney Mara is really working the Dragon Tattoo theme this year, but it suits her.  Viola Davis always plays the downtrodden older woman but she can really work it on the red carpet.  Both Zooey Deschanel and Michelle Williams choices were panned but I thought each looked quirky and unique.  And then there was Guliana Rancic...she just had a double mastectomy maybe a month ago and she was right back in style with a smile on her face!!  She deserves big Kudos for that maneuver!!

Like always stone cold Angelina Jolie looked fabulous.  However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the saddest sight at the show.....Brad Pitt's hair.  For God sake's man, wash it, trim it, and perhaps even shave your beard!!!  Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and even Jimmy Fallon would never attend a Hollywood gathering so grooming challenged!

 

My Motto

Andy Rooney on Women Over Forty

Andy Rooney says:

As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting.

A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing.

Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

A woman over forty has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn’t trust the guy with other women. Women over forty couldn’t care less if you’re attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won’t betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over forty. They always know.

A woman over forty looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over forty is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one! You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over forty for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of forty-plus, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some twenty-two-year-old waitress.

I'll Draw the Line at Chloroform

I received these messages today right in a row from son Jordan.  Should I be concerned?  Do I have a Dexter on my hands?

To:       Mom

From:  Jordan

Do u think u could pick me up a box of black latex rubber gloves plz? A 3- pak at walmart cost 4.95. 100 pak cost 17.92.

To:       Mom

From:  Jordan

Do u btw have any black mid-calf rubber boots?

Thankfully, after I wrote back that he was scaring me, he explained he was putting together a mad scientist outfit for a movie he is filming.  Whew!  I'll choose to believe this reason unless I begin to find body parts in the freezer!

Happy Birthday Arlene!!

Happy Birthday to my stepmom Arlene today!

Conquering the Closet

I'm happy to say I have conquered my shoe pile!!  Previously, my life consisted of digging through three plastic tubs/baskets to locate a matching pair of shoes.  I would then have a huge pile of shoes spilling all over the floor which would then have to be loaded back into the tubs.  Which meant digging through the shoes again the next morning.  Ugh!  It was a never ending cycle of sweaty mess and disorganization!  Plus, my beloved shoes were not being treated with the respect they deserved!

Last night I picked up 11 lidded, plastic containers from Target (of course on clearance) and proceeded to sort and organize all of my shoes.  I kept one plastic tub in the back of the closet where I threw tennis shoes, flip flops, and my rarely used, non-favorite shoes.  The rest I organized into similiar boxes then labeled them, using terms such as "Red", "Brown", "Black Pumps", "Work Flats", and "Party Heels".  This should make my shoe selection each morning more efficient and less sweaty!

SHOES BEFORE

SHOES AFTER

Hello Snow!

Well, look what I woke up to this morning!!  Good thing I got those snow tires this week!

Speaking of Blue.....

Tiffany Blue Makes Diva Blue

So inspired by the Tiffany Blue nail polish pictured at the right ------>, I picked up a bottle from Sally's and took it to use when I got my nails done today.  Ummm, the effect in my head was much better than the actual result.  I mean, look at these things:

They just didn't turn out the same as the picture, dammit!!  These stubs simply cannot see the light of day so I will be repainting them this evening!!!

Dreaming of Jersey Shore

Dreaming.  I don't dream very often but last night I had a doozy.  I had taken some Tylenol PM because I'm tired of waking up at 4am every day; this may have been the key to my REM disturbance.

In my dream, I was partying with the Jersey Shore crowd and dating one of the guidos, Ronnie.  Yes, WTF?  Ronnie and I walked into the house; he was taking classes so he showed me his books and asked me to help him with his homework.  Obviously I was the "smart" one the relationship.  I remember telling him that one of the books was the basis for Breakfast at Tiffany's; he shook his head and didn't have a clue to the movie I was referring.  Snookie, JWow and Mike the Situation were all chatting with us.  We then all left this house and went to a beach house where Ronnie and I started necking.  Some other older character pulled me aside and said "if you are getting with him you better use these because he's been around" and shoved a handful of condoms at me.  Thankfully, the dream ended up before the romping began!

Yes, it was bizarre.  I decided to look up the meaning of the topics from my dream via Dream Moods and discovered the following:

Celebrity - To dream that you are having sex with a celebrity, indicates your drive to be successful. Consider what movies you associate this celebrity with or what makes this celebrity famous for clues as to where and in what you want to achieve success.

Books - To see books in your dream indicate calmness. You are moving toward your goals at a slow and steady pace. Books also symbolize knowledge, intellect, information and wisdom. In particular, to see an open book in your dream, means that you are able to grasp new ideas with ease. If the book is closed, then it represents your allure and mysteriousness. Consider the type of book for additional clues. The dream may represent your calling into a specific field of work or an area that you need to devote more study to. Alternatively, the dream could be telling you not to judge a book by its cover.

Condom - To see a wrapped condom in your dream represents your one-sided viewpoints. You are not allowing others to voice their opinions. It also symbolizes sexual possibilities.

Homework - To dream that you are doing homework symbolizes the lessons that have learned or are learning. Pay attention to the assignment in your dream and figure out how it can be applied to your waking life. Alternatively, the dream represents your anxieties about your ability and performance. If you have a homework assignment that is due in real life, then the dream may just be your preoccupation and worry over the assignment.

Hangin wit my Jersey peeps!

TGIF This Friday the 13th!!

Lovin Me Some New Makeup!

The following are some new cosmetic products I picked up to try:

1. Cover Girl Blast Lipstick - This is pretty nifty lipstick containing two different colors which can be worn separate or together.  I picked up a pretty bluish red/pink combo along with a pink/gold maroon combo.  Thumbs up!  Grade A

2.  Revlon Diamond Dust Eyeshadow - While I was browsing the new Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadows I found this sparkly number, which I purchased in pinky and dark gray.  Definitely nighttime shadow as the sparkle is a bit too much for daytime wear.  Although this didn't stop me from wearing it to work yesterday!!  Grade B

3.  Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse Foundation - Light, airy, and not too thick, I like this foundation.  The first bottle I picked up was too light so had to grab the next shade up.  I have also previously tried the Photoready powder but don't care for it - too cakey.  Grade B

4.  Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - Not quite sure what they mean by bouncy blush but I purchased the very bright Hot Tamale color.  Good texture, not too creamy, but it doesn't last as long as powder.  Grade C+

Snow - Bring it On Bitches!!!

Snow, along with frost and ice, is in the air.  This would be so much fun if I didn't have to travel almost 100 miles per day on I-5 North.  Therefore,  I swung by a local tire business and had some studded snow tires installed on my rig yesterday.  Ahhh....much better to be safe than sorry meaning me pulling 180 degrees on the freeway and ending up in the ditch.  The only sign of concern?  My salesperson had the same name as my last ex-husband.....a cause for concern or simply a coincidence?  I'll judge that once spring rolls around!

Not gonna be me!

Knock Me Over with a Feather!

The annual company party turned out to be more fabulous than I expected!  After spackling, curling, hairspraying, and in general primping to the max, we made our way to the red carpet to enter the ballroom, which looked magnificent.  Everyone was decked out in their party attire; it's fun to see co-workers who normally wear a uniform working their finery.  Because a Diva has no choice but to impart fabulosity onto their friends, both Adriana and Christine were wearing borrowed party frocks from my closet.   My friend Rachel, who was my plus one for the evening, joined up with us wearing her 5 inch heels.  No wonder we are friends!

After a yummy dinner, which included prime rib and seafood fettuccine, the party was opened with a take-off on The Hangover, starring my buds from work, including Bobby.  If there was a company Oscar, he should take one home for his portrayal of Zach Galifinakis from the movie.  It was hilarious! 

The awards portion of the show began after the video concluded.  Almost 20 awards were distributed to employees, including "Best Dressed", "Funniest", "Most Likely to Forget a Meeting", etc.  Diva Shiloh, who looked absolutely spectacular in her 40's themed attire, including authentic rolled hair, and I presented the "Respect" award.  We had good intentions of making an Aretha Franklin joke but it fell a little flat due to this Diva's inability to correctly work Shiloh's high tech cell phone.  At least our ineptitude made everyone laugh, which was our purpose anyway!

The last awards were for Employee of the Year and Manager of the Year.  Since I was selected for Manager of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2011, I was in the running to receive the annual award.  All four quarterly winners were called to the podium then the general manager announced the annual award winner was ........me!  Wow!  How exciting!  The general manager said some very kind words about my contributions during the past year then gave me a plaque along with a travel package worth $1,500.  I think the appreciation I felt was more overwhelming than the actual prize itself!  I was really feeling the love from everyone!

All in all, it was a wonderful, surprising, and unexpected evening!!!

Hangover takeoff with my bud Bobby on the right

Diva and Adriana

40's themed Shiloh

Andrea in Diva Preparation

Co-Worker Bringing It!

Diva ready to party