One of the first things I’ve been doing shortly after getting up every day this week is tap out a quick list of things I’m grateful for. I usually do it on my phone, and sometimes in the early morning dark before dawn.
There’s something about these lists that curbs the urge to run around like a crazy person wielding a fork…
I kid! But no, seriously, the lists help. Whenever I feel that little twinge and tighten my grip on the closest cutlery, I open the Notes app on my phone and reread my lists. Seeing what I’ve written there in front of me puts things in perspective.
Because I don’t want to write the same lists every day (after all, there are some things that would appear on every list), I jot down the very first things that come to my mind each morning.
Here are five of the things I’m grateful for today, along with brief explanations, so you don’t go thinking I’m completely off my rocker! 🙂
1. The new $29 MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb
OHMIGOSH! I’m in lurve. I can’t remember the last day I didn’t wear this shimmery, peachy nude highlighter. I think I’ve worn it every day since Glamour Daze came out.
Ah, but shimmery highlighters can be tricky to wear, especially if you have any blemishes. Luckily, Superb handles imperfections, well, superbly. It’s just so forgiving, and the glow it gives lasts me all day long. Better still, it doesn’t settle into my fine lines, nooks, pores or crannies.
The formula, which is somewhere between a liquid, cream and a powder, is very well behaved.
I just pat it on the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupid’s bow and on my chin with a large, firm, paddle-shaped eye brush (the MAC 227 does a great job).
Then, I buff and smooth away any visible edges with my favorite tapered blending brush, the MAC 224.
What about its availability? Well, you’re in luck! It’s…Superb. 🙂
Haha. Okay, not really. I just wanted to play with the name one more time. Superb is currently a hot commodity, and last I checked, it was listed as sold out on MAC’s website. You should be able to find it, though, at MAC stores, counters and online at nordstrom.com.
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2. Pajama tops with pockets
So I’ve had this PJ Salvage flannel pajama top for about a year now, and I usually use the pockets to hold cat treats and pens (and sometimes my lint roller…’cause that’s how cat ladies roll), but it never occurred to me before to actually use the pockets to warm my hands.
What a revelation!
It occurred to me last night while I was lying in bed. My hands were freezing, and without thinking, I thrust them into the pockets.
Huzzah! So warm, so comforting… It was like hearing a soft lullaby or getting a hug from my mom.
Whoever came up with the idea to put pockets on pajama tops, you sir or madam, were a genius.
3. Steven Tyler
Okay, this one’s a little weird, I know, but I saw part of a live Aerosmith performance on the Today Show this morning and found Steven Tyler oddly inspiring.
There aren’t many dudes still rocking like that at his age, and he’s also got a pretty wild sense of style. That wavy hair, those skintight pants and the ruffles… Ruffles?!
You go, Steven Tyler! (Note to self: order those space cat leggings ASAP.)
4. Maracas
They’re colorful, portable parties, and for a musical instrument, they have a very low barrier to entry (just shake!).
That’s what I want for Christmas. I want maracas that I can keep in my big purse for “emergencies.”
5. Boots
Especially low-heeled ones (says the girl who’s been wearing high heels regularly since her early 20s). I have a brown pair from DSW that I’ve been wearing a lot lately because they go with everything — dresses, boots, skinny jeans and even shorts. Bonus: if/when the zombie apocalypse occurs — okay, when zombie apocalypse occurs — they protect your ankles and feet from the biters, so you can run away from the herd…
Now it’s your turn. What are some of the things you’re grateful for today? I think it’s fun when you jot down the very first things that come to mind (no pressure at all; there are no right or wrong answers).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I love Superb. I bought it when it was first released and I think I should buy s back up.
Hi Agata,
It is an excellent item, and I can totally see it becoming one of those mythical MAC faves like Stereorose!
Happy weekend, btw. Are you doing anything fun?
Working….if that counts as fun…Saturday I might drag my husband to go to Sephora in the mall an hour away from where we live. On Sunday work again and we are going out for a family dinner to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday 🙂
And I thought I might add my own 5 things I am grateful for:
1.After many many years of trying my sister finally got pregnant, it’s still very early but I hope everything will be fine 🙂 2. My MAC Small Vanity blush arrived today and it’s beautiful. 3. New sectional for our living room got delivered today and I love it! 4. Your blog- it always puts me in a good mood. 5. My wonderful friends.
5 things I am grateful for today (love your list, by the way, it’s the little things in life that help us get by at times):
1) My warm, cozy, camo hunting jacket. It’s waterproof and covers my butt. Plus it has tons of pockets.
2)Hot toddies (tea with a lil bit of whiskey). I swear by them to cure colds, the flu, bronchitis, etc. I definitely have some sort of cold going on right now.
3) Seeing my favorite set of rapids on the Potomac river look alive again. The water had been low all summer, and the normally Class 3 monster wave rapid looked piddly until this hurricane hit. The set of rapids is called White Horse – they are a haven in the summertime for kayakers, tubers and rafters because they are all wave and have few rocks to dodge. You can find White Horse rapids near Harpers Ferry near where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers meet.
4). Good neighbors, family and friends. Need I say more?
5). Getting to see my 8 year old niece sing last night. She likes to sing Adele, and country, and she is so good! She was the best singer at the karaoke bar last night, hands down (maybe I’m biased but she was 🙂 ).
Hi Katherine,
Thank you for sharing your list!
BTW, I’m grateful to know that I have insider info on the good kayaking spots should I ever head out your way (hey, you never know). 😉
Really enjoyed this blog post today Karen. It’s always a pleasure to check your blog each day! Love your glasses by the way.
Hi Sandy,
Your comment made me smile. 😀 Thank you for taking time out of your day and reading MBB!
Got anything fun lined up for the weekend?
I am thankful for your blog! You are so authentic and inspiring.
I am thankful for robes with pockets, which shield me from baby spit-up and toddler mess, and sadly, keep me presentable for company. Lol.
I am thankful for MAC Forever Marilyn BP. It makes me look rested.
I am thankful for clearance “fun-sized” Halloween candy, particularly Kit Kats. Nom!
I am thankful for my friends and family. And MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows that make me look so skillful at makeup application. 😉
Hi Anna,
Thank you for sharing your list! 🙂 Your first item was very sweet.
Oh…I love, LOVE those MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows, too. They make it so easy to create really beautifully blended looks. What’s your fave shade from Glamour Daze?
Happy weekend!
Karen, you should make this a weekly or monthly Friday post like Le List on Monday. I always look forward to Le List because it’s get my brain working on Mondays and this would be a great way to end the week!
Today I’m thankful that my PopPop’s house on the Chesapeake Bay is all right after Sandy.
I’m grateful for the nice Spanish Red Tempranillo I had with dinner. Perfect on this chilly day.
I’m grateful for my puppies who hung out with me all day while Hubby was at work and golfing.
I’m grateful for Arcona’s “The Solution” for being the magical product that makes zits go away overnight and I’m grateful for The Woodhouse Day Spa in Denver (where I buy my Arcona products) for giving me a two week free sample of the new “Overnight Cellular Repair Complex”. It’s supposed to be very rich and moisturizing and I was worried it would make me break out like their “Night Worker” serum did. Now I get to give it a really good old college try to see if it’s a good fit.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Leah,
That’s a good idea! I just might do that…
Must look into The Solution — thanks for the recco. I get random chin acne every couple of months, and it’s such a pain, argh! How long have you been using it? And did it take a while to see a difference?
Happy weekend!
I’ve been using it for almost 2 years now, which is a long time for me. Even when something works I get bored and try something new. It’s comes in a thin serum with a pump or on a premoistened pad that can easily be cut in half. It has glycolic and lots of antioxidants in it in it which my skin loves. It’s great for those smaller clogged pore zits that pop up on chins, at least for me! If the regular one is too harsh they also have Gentle Solution that is a gel.
Omg Karen! You look amazing! Everything is so simple with this look and you’re rocking it. Love the Pj top. I should start making those lists, since I have lots to be grateful for. My husband, my cute-as-a-button doggy :), a great work environment, makeup! (my passion lol), and all the other things that make my life so great 🙂
Holy moly, your skin looks so dewy and perfect!
I’ve seen this dress on you several a couple times I think, and every time I think, wow that dress is so great on her! You own it, Karen!
I am thankful everyday that I love my work. Not my job, sometimes, which can have ups and down, but my work, definitely. Can’t wait to get to it, most times.
You look so beautiful in these photos, Karen!
I usually write such list and the list of things I want to achieve when it’s New Year’s Eve.
Btw, I want to re-watch all Tim Burton’s films. And what’s on your to-watch list? 😉
Your skin looks fab here!
-I’m thankful for having wonderful parents who encourage me to do what I love.
-I’m thankful I have a wonderful fiance who puts up with me.
-I’m thankful for my mentor, who is helping me on my way to do advertising research.
-I’m thankful for getting to sleep in today!
-And I’m thankful to have two wonderful furbabies, and that the bunbun is relatively well behaved for his antibiotic injections (only 4 left! – I think he likes shoes like you do, Karen, because he is currently playing in my pile of shoes that sits under my desk…)
First, love your jammies and your glasses!
~I’m thankful for my healthy family.
~I’m thankful for my beloved pets.
~I’m thankful for the customer care rep at 1-800-PetMeds for being so helpful.
~I’m grateful for the view of beautiful mountains from my windows.
~I’m grateful for the lovely peace and quiet of my home.
~Last, but not least, I’m thankful for the raspberry filled doughnut I shouldn’t have had this morning. 🙂
The first thing that came to mind as I read this is my iPhone with wi-fi. I’m thankful that I can read your posts from anywhere, anytime. I love it when I check my email on my phone and there’s your Makeup and Beauty Blog update in my inbox – YAY!
Ok thats TWO MAC cheek products you have me lusting after this week–and I haven’t purchased anything from MAC in a while, so that’s a big deal! Easy Manner and Superb WILL be mine!!
That photo of you in the wind is really great- you look so real, love it. I’m grateful to be typing this in my university library as I study pressure ulcers for nursing school, because someday I plan to care for people and I know that staging bedsores and great lipgloss are two things that will help me be a great nurse! 🙂
I am thankful for my wonderful daughter.
I am thankful for having a good new boss at work, who is very encouraging and most important believing in me!
I am thankful to wake up this morning….. Because my father never did! 🙁
I am thankful for my life, though it may be shitty sometimes.
I am thankful for every nice things in my life and all the good people I meet.
Hey Karen, is MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Superb close to (or even on the same block as)MAC MSF Triple Fusion?
Karen, you need some egg shakers – maracas you can fit in your purse because they’re the size of an egg. They come in plastic, wood and other varieties and you can find them in bright colors. I love them.
http://www.amazon.com/Meinl-Plastic-Egg-Shaker-Assortment/dp/B0002F5CQK/ref=pd_cp_MI_0