So Monday....We Meet Again

Breaking Bread with the BJD's

Saturday night was an evening filled with great food, laughter and catching up with all my friends.  It was the first time Diva Perla had hosted us all at her home and she did a super job, as always, being the party princess.  Appetizers including her homeland speciality lumpia followed by a dinner of rice, noodles, teriyaki chicken, and shrimp.  She decked out her table with china, linens, and candles for our meal and it was a superb setting for us to catch up with one another.  She then served a dessert of mango sorbet with a crisp chocolate cookie which was a wonderful finish to our meal.

While our intent was to karaoke, it was just too much fun sitting around the table and swapping stories until late so we passed up the singing scene.  Thanks Diva Perla for hosting such a fabulous party for us girls to share stories; I look forward to the next one, which hopefully will be sooner rather than later!!

Getting My Weekend On!

Ahhh...the weekend!  Yesterday this involved washing my car in the sun then making a large pitcher of Vanilla Chamomile ice tea to go with my chopped salad for dinner.  Boys off camping so the house was all mine!  A little Fashion Police, chatting on the phone, Facebook, Pinterest and painting my nails made my evening sheer relaxation! 

This morning nudged me out of bed too early; along with that, my eye along with my nose is puffed up due to allergies.  Arrrggg!  Eggs, toast and coffee for breakfast during which time my head was wrapped into reading the In-Style, Vanity Fair and Us magazines borrowed from my work break room.  Once my allergies subside, little Stubbs is in for a haircut and shampoo.

Tonight is all set for a get together with the Blue Jacket Divas.  Dinner at Diva Perla's then we will go out for karaoke!  Nothing like belting out Patsy Cline to make one feel liberated!  I also have a pair of bright pink high heels that are itching to be worn!!

Senior Sam Sneak Peek

Son Sam's senior pictures arrived in the mail today.  What a handsome guy!!  And he inherited his mama's dimples!!    Ahhh...they grow up too fast!!

TGIF!!!!

Remove Yourself From the Scene and Depart Quickly.

Here's an example of a few fashion fads that just don't make sense.

• Long in back, short in front shirt.  About as stylish as a mullet.
• Mustache trend....WTH?  It was funny for about a minute but now it's over.  Way over.
• Holes in my shoulders.  Nothing like shoulder cut-outs to make a woman look like a quarterback.
• Denim shirts.  Try as you might to make them uber in style, the bulky denim, flap pockets, and farmer inspired design simply doesn't work.
• Feather.  Anything.  Please.  Stop.  Now.
• Chest length earrings. With my limited neck length, earrings like this become a belly bangle.
• Dip dyed floral tees.  This pattern has been hanging around for about eight years, which means it's expiration date was 7 1/2 years ago.

 

But First, Of All Things, is Me

It’s been a whirlwind two years in my life, including the graduation and independence of my older child; the upcoming graduation of my youngest; the death of my father; dealing with significant stress and commute of my job yet overcoming those obstacles to find satisfaction in my position; an unexpected yet blessed divorce; entering the dating world, which led to one short-term boyfriend quickly followed by a long-term relationship; and recently becoming again single.  In the last year my strength and resolve has been tested and new rules have been instituted to ensure my home is safe and provides a sanctuary.  My will as a single mom has been tested to the highest levels.  Although there have been some rough patches, my finances continue to provide for the living expenses for myself, my kids, and my dog.  My goal to grow my two sons into responsible men is steadily moving along, especially now that both are adults. 
 
Now the time has come for my own self-reflection.  I’ve sought to fill my post-divorce life with dating, seeking to find someone who will love me.  But that isn’t enough.  Before love or a new relationship finds me, there are other personal obstacles that must be obtained.  In order to be happy with someone else, my first goal is to be happy with myself.   The ability to stand my ground, say “No” without explanation, and follow through must be established within my core.  My detrimental habit of seeking approval and giving to all others above my own better interests must be eliminated.  My ability to set boundaries must be reinforced and my personal life needs to borrow strength from my professional demeanor.  This isn’t to say I’m flopping on the floor with no teeth to my will; these are simply areas that need my attention for improvement.
 

What does all this self-insight mean?  That my spirit needs a rest – a time to eliminate outside chaos and turmoil; a time to seek peace; and a time to pamper my heart.  A time to continue my course for health and wellness all the while grooming my sons to fly the nest. As with the Project Runway cast-offs, it’s time for me to bid Auf Wiedersehen to the tattered whirlwind of my past two years and look forward to a time of peace, happiness, and contentment.  It's time to picture myself as a sculptured, pink high heel stiletto encased in diamonds....a beautiful piece of work which is deserving of my love.    

 

A Little Pick Me Up

Feelin Lucky at the Eagle

Last night was an evening of blowing off steam, which is exactly what was needed in my life.  My buds Kim, Bobby and his guy Russell all met up at the Lucky Eagle Casino in order to test our luck on the slot machines.  Kim is Miss Lucky as she always brings home the bucks using the same slot machine and last night was no different.  I was determined to use Kim's machine but alas, all three were taken so I had to bide my time before I could hop on to a winning machine.  Finally, after playing a fish-themed machine, a slot next to Kim opened up and I was on my way. 

My key to gambling is to cash out big tickets then put $20 in to start anew.  This way you have a buffer for when and if your funds are depleted.  Money in, cash out, and so on.  At one point Bobby handed me a six cent ticket to use, which I promptly stuck in my purse.  Later, it was time to reuse one of my cash tickets so, grabbing a $60 one from my purse, I inserted it to the machine.  Hmmm, my balance didn't appear to move whatsoever.  The machine had eaten my ticket!!

Service was called which brought about first an older attendant to determine what happened.  The log didn't show the $60 being inserted and the ticket couldn't be found.  The attendant opened up the machine, fiddled around with the insides, and questioned me.  She then called her supervisor, who was unable to solve the problem, so the big guns - a maintenance man about 6' 5" - was brought in to reset the machine.  The casino reps issued me a new ticket, which the slot machine eagerly ate up and my playing continued.  At one point during this event, Kim asked me "are you sure it's not in your purse?"   Oh paleez...I would know if I inserted a ticket or not Kimberly!!

Well, when it came time to dig in my purse, out came the ticket for $60!  Ooops....I must have inserted Bobby's .06 ticket instead of the correct one.  And of course Kim was right...I should have looked again in my purse!!  That incident kept us laughing for the rest of the evening.

I'm happy to say I came out $100 ahead after my evening at the casino.  Winning makes it worth it although my meager winnings were nothing compared to Kim's $5,000 haul.  Next time I vow to grab her machine before she claims stake to it!!!

Oh Yea

Model Behavior in More Ways Than One!

Today turned out to be, as he phrased it, "Sam and Mom Day".  Sam's senior pictures were scheduled for this afternoon; instead of leaving work early, I decided to take it as a vacation day.  Sam and I spent our morning watching "Django Unchained" which was both disturbing and a great piece of film.  I'm never disappointed when I watch a Quentin Tarantino movie!

After getting cleaned up, we stopped by the store to pick up a couple of items for Sam's photo shoot.  We then stopped by the nearest Chinese restaurant to break bread, or rather rice, before returning home.  Now that he is 18, Sam enjoyed purchasing his first stack of pull tabs.  Alas, Lady Luck was not with him and he only had a $1.50 return on his $10 purchase.

At home, I ironed two shirts for the young man while Jordan helped him pick out his photo clothes.  We then all piled into the car and met up with Joanna, the same photographer who took Jordan's pictures a year ago.

Shirt and tie at the high school then we made our way over to downtown, which is rich in funky backgrounds.  More pictures with the tie then Sam made his way to his dressing room i.e., the car, to change into casual clothes.  We wandered around the roads looking for unusual nooks and crannies to give Sam's pictures a unique touch.  His last change was into shorts and a flannel shirt; shortly thereafter the photo event was done.  I'm so excited to see the pictures after Joanna's editing, which should happen within the next two weeks.

Joanna said more than once that it was nice to see two brothers get along so well.  In addition, they were very polite and were extremely easy to direct plus they brought a lot of enthusiasm to the pictures.  It's nice to hear those comments and made me proud.

Here's a preview of Sam's pictures with Joanna in action...along with Jordan popping in as well.

Kevyn Aucoin Still Helping to Make Faces Today

It was a rough night last night - brain was on overload and couldn't sleep so I was up to almost 2am flipping through magazines, surfing the net, and reading.  Digging through a stack of books, my Kevyn Aucoin classics, Making Faces and Face Forward, screamed to be reviewed for the umpteenth time.  The late Kevyn Aucoin was a fabulous makeup artist; his books were written in the late nineties but they are still relevant today.  Unlike cosmetic reads from the 70's and 80's, filled with chalk blue eyeshadow and obvious lip liner, Mr. Aucoin's books contain tips and techniques that still hold their own here in 2013.  His picture of contouring is probably one you've seen over and over as an outline for shading. 

If you are a makeup freak such as myself and don't own a copy of his books, get them today!  Definite permanent reference material from a master artist.

LOVE this look



Eyeliner still relevant for today

The Secure and Satisfied Woman

The Secure and Satisfied Woman

• Enjoys her freedom and allows others to have theirs.
• Refuses to report her coming and goings to anyone.
• Does not worry about others’ judgment or validation of her.
• Instead of complaining, she solves her own problems.
• Is successful and productive, i.e. she risks more and attains more.
• Does not avoid issues, as she knows that conflict and confrontation are part of growth.
• Is in control of her own time to create, contemplate, and connect when she wants.
• Is spontaneous and open to new opportunities.
• Is happy!

 

 

from www.carolynsays.com
 

Dreaming of Zombies

However entertaining they may be, dreams have a way of disrupting your sleep!  It's rare my sleep is filled with dreams but last night my subconscious must have been filled with episodes of The Walking Dead.  Zombies, running from society, protecting my loved ones from death or from being eaten...yikes!   At one point I was in Fred Meyer, grabbing the necessities of life - knives, water, bread, and the latest People magazine.  At some point I ran into my sisters Julie and Erin.  Julie said how fantastic was this that we could do anything we wanted in the store because the world was coming to an end, at which point she scooped her hand into the middle of a cake, took a bite and said "see?"  Erin's input was that my knives weren't big enough to fight off the zombies so I needed to further stock up on my arsenal.  All I could think about were I had to get back to where my sons were hiding because they may need food.....once a mother, always a mother!

Always investigative, I looked up the meaning of zombies in dreams and found the following:

Dreaming about zombies can be to do with something changing in your life for the worse, being in a bad situation that you can't seem to get out of, or not having your heart in something anymore. If you are hiding or running away from the zombies, then it could mean that you are avoiding something or denying that something is bothering you. If you dream of a zombie apocalypse, then it can mean that you are feeling totally overwhelmed by something in your life. If, on the other hand, you are fighting and killing the zombies, it can mean that you have been facing up to whatever is bothering you, but are still having trouble conquering your problems. (Unless of course you totally defeat all the zombies and win, which, funnily enough, never seems to happen in zombies dreams!!!) Fighting and killing zombies can also relate to excessive conflict in your life.

 

It Was Only Supposed to Be a Long Run

Opening my blog, I began to write a recap of my weekend.  However, any events that occurred are so small in comparison to the Boston Marathon explosion today.  The images are graphic and the violence is so pointless.  My prayers go out to everyone who was hurt or killed and to those selfless people who helped others in need. 

Expecting Something New

Back in the day, my previous place of work was involved in a significant amount of Total Quality training, updating the company culture to flowchart processes and procedures, examine root causes, and do it right the first time.  One of the phrases frequently bantered about included:

"If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten."

It's a phrase I've thought about on occasion but at this time in my life it really hits home.  If I don't like the actions that are occurring around me, the one constant in my life appears to be.....me.  So what behavior am I accepting?  Am I repeating?  And what am I always doing that is getting me what I've always gotten?

The key point is one must change the way one behaves in order to obtain a different outcome.  Case in point, which hit home this year:  If you overeat and sit on the couch, you gain weight.  If you eat sensibly, you maintain.  If you do something different - eat less and exercise more - you lose weight.

In the same vein, taking on every task at work outside of my own duties makes me feel overwhelmed and resentful.  So why continue to take on more than my duties?  What if I stopped doing everyone's job and performed solely my own, forcing others to become responsible for their own positions?  This is different than my normal routine and would force others to become accountable rather than allowing me to pick up the pieces, cleaning up or preventing workplace messes.  Makes sense, doesn't it? 

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.  Today I'm making a commitment to change the way I do things at work and home so I will receive something different, rather than what I've always gotten.  This will allow greater peace for me along with greater accountability for others.  And I'm excited to see what new outcomes will come my way by changing the one person for whom I possess total control....me!

Sweater and Pearls for Monday

Here I am driving to work Monday morning.  Sunday on my way home from Michael's I stopped in Salmon Creek to get my nails done then popped over to Goodwill next door to browse the bargains before dropping off eight bags of donations.  I found a new Elle sweater for $2.50 along with some gray and cream ombre Steve Madden heels for $4 that just had to join my closet.  The white sweater screamed for pearls so of course I obliged. Here is also my new bob; my hair is very shiny thanks to a spritz of Pink Sheen.  My apologies for the fuzzy filter on this picture; sometimes it's hard to drive, center yourself, and get your finger on the right button to take a photo during an I5 commute!

It's Friday!!!

Siskel and Ebert.....Sigh, Another Iconic Team Now Both Gone

The end of another era has arrived.  Roger Ebert died today, joining his co-movie critic Gene Siskel in the sky.  I remember frequently watching their reviews - so enthusiastic, so opinionated, and ultimately kind of comical.  RIP to a pair of men who entertained me for many years.