Karen

Connor did an early trick-or-treat run around the neighborhood this morning with her best doggy buddy on our street, Seanum (pronounced Shawn-um).

Please note how she holds her jack-o’-lantern like a purse. ?

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These LOFT jeans are the last pair of jeans I bought before I got pregnant. I wore them on the day El Hub and I told our parents, and shortly afterwards, I put them away in a drawer, confident that after I had the baby, I’d get back into them eventually.

I thought it would take a few months. Then one day I would slip them on, button them up, and pick up exactly where I left off.

HAHA!

For months I’ve been basically using sheer willpower to shoe-horn my @ss into these pants, because I’ve refused to acknowledge the fact that they no longer fit. I’ve worn them several times — all the while being barely able to breathe — and it finally hit me a couple weeks ago that I NEED TO LET THIS GO and buy some new freakin’ jeans.

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So…what is the Monday Poll?

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past 10 (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

1. What would no one guess about you?

Hmm… That I love to bake! ??? I used to do it more than I do nowadays, but I still do it on occasion.

I’d do it more if my friends and family would eat my food, LOL! I mean, not to say that it doesn’t taste good (at least I think it tastes OK!), but there was a point in time when I was literally baking multiple cakes every weekend because I thought it was so much fun to do, and then I’d give all of my baked goods away to my friends, folks and my brother, but eventually they were like, “You need to stop because we’re all gaining weight.”

I just love the act of baking. I love the precision and the artistry, and how it’s a combination of science and art. I dunno…

Plus, you get something yummy to eat at the end, and how could you not love that?

2. Your thoughts on purple eye makeup?

I strongly believe that purple is a “do,” and everyone sitting here has to try using at least one purple liner. I recommend MAC Prunella as that liner.

It’s not an in-your-face purple, though. It’s more of a deep plum, and the reason why everyone needs to try purple at least once IMO is because it enhances practically every eye color out there — especially blue, brown and hazel. Purple is the stuff!

It’s also the color of royalty, AND Prince loved it too.

3. What gets you up in the morning?

Sheer force of will, haha!

OK, if we’re being literal, then the answer is “my alarm clock,” also known as Tabs. He’s so vocal now in the morning, and when he isn’t meowing, he’s biting me to get up. LOL!

What also gets me up is knowing that the baby will get up at a certain time, which means that I have that before she gets up to myself, and it’s when I feel mentally fresh, so I know that I can get a lot of writing done.

I used to hate waking up at 5:30, but now I’m like, “I’m getting up, and we’re DOING THIS.”

Also, coffee helps. A lot.

4. I think one should always be__________.

I think one should always be ready with a change of shoes, because you never know when the pair you’re wearing will start hurting your feet, and yes, I know this from experience.

5. Something you just started doing that’s making your life better?

Let me think here… Well, I just started decorating my living room. It’s been slow progress, but it’s definitely progress.

For the longest time… I mean, I’ve lived in this condo for years, and I haven’t wanted to seriously decorate because I have a major fear of furniture commitment. I just get so overwhelmed by the choices.

Someone in the comments here on MBB suggested starting with one thing — and in this case that thing was my new couch — and then build from there with things that you like, and that’s what I’ve been doing. I got a few lamps last weekend and grabbed some pillows with fall colors (wine, orange, gold) for the couch. It’s coming along. 🙂

Happy Halloween Eve/Monday!

Rise and shine, morning gory (haha)! Are you dressing up this week? And do the people where you work get into the spirit? I think it’s so cool when people at work dress up for Halloween.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste.
1. What would no one guess about you?
2. Your thoughts on purple eye makeup?
3. What gets you up in the morning?
4. I think one should always be__________.
5. Something you just started doing that’s making your life better?

I’m wondering if I’m the only person who does this, but during the workweek, I mostly drink either decaf or half-caf coffee, because while full-on coffee helps me get a lot of stuff done, it makes me super jittery, and when I’m sitting there trying to put my thoughts together or do something like write, I just can’t handle it sometimes. There’s no outlet for all of the buzzing going on in my body and my head.

But on the weekends? On Saturdays? Girl, I drink the real stuff. 🙂 Because on Saturday, I feel like, OK, it’s my free day. I can do whatever I want, and real coffee is gonna get me through it.

I mean, there are so many things I want to do today! — other than the usual boring house chores that gotta get done. So many looks I wanna try, stores I want to visit, books I want to read. I dunno!

Speaking of that, I have to tell you about my new Saturday coffee. It’s nothing super fancy. El Hub got me addicted to it, but it’s called Folger’s Simply Smooth, and it’s just… I don’t know if I’ve gotten used to the bitterness of Starbucks and Peet’s coffee, but this Folger’s Simply Smooth isn’t bitter or tangy at all. It’s mild and not acidic, so it doesn’t hurt my tummy at all. Even if you make it VERY strong, it still doesn’t have too much bite.

I just had a sip… Ahhh! It’s so good.

By the way, I’m drinking it from another over-sized cat teacup I recently found at Marshalls. I’m slowly amassing a mismatched tea set of these cat tea cups, haha!

It’s by Portobello by Inspire, and it says “Home is where my cat is,” and there are all these little kitty cats on it! The only thing is, it didn’t come with a matching saucer, though, like my Roy Kirkham mug.

I love drinking out of this cup because when you get to the bottom, there’s an illustration on the inside of a little ball of yarn and silhouettes of kitties with crooked tails. And when I drink out of this cup, Connor always comes by and says, “Cat! Cat!” and points at the cat drawings on the side. It’s so cute.

While I proceed to drink this coffee and melt into blissful oblivion, I’m also going to read more of Cocoa Beach. 🙂 If you need some morning reading material, here are some stories that caught my eye this week.

• Be sure you’re within range of your fainting couch when you peep the vintage makeup compacts in this post. They’re to die for!
• Excited about this! — the new Kérastase Aura Botanica line is 98% natural and silicone-free.
• Here are some products that will last through crying, kissing and everything in between, according to the makeup artist for Jane the Virgin (I marathon’d the first two seasons and thought it was hilarious).
• In case you were unaware, tarot is trending, and Dior predicted it months ago.
• I mean, do you really need to ask? But just in case you were wondering why your cat is giving you the cold shoulder…
• Covergirl is revamping its marking with brand ambassadors who represent a mix of ethnicities and ages (!). All I have to say about that — it’s about damn time a 69-year-old was featured in a beauty campaign.
• Halloween and candy didn’t always go hand in hand, which is craziness to me!
• I’ve been following CRISPR. It’s one of the biggest science stories of the decade, and here’s a simple guide to everything you need to know about it.
• Inner mantras (hey, I have a few!) are powerful things. Here’s how fitness mogul Robin Arzon used them to thrive after a near-death experience, and transform herself into a one-woman fitness brand.
• I love this video of sixth-grade girls rapping about academic success.
• Long-lasting lipsticks, starting at $9
• How to banish butt acne (Don’t laugh, I know you’ve had it before! I totally have.)
• I’m feeling the purples and plums in the Natasha Denona Lila Eyeshadow Palette.
• If you can, marry a man who will go to Sephora so he can learn how to apply your makeup after you lose your vision.
• If you shopped on the Tarte website between 2008 and 2017, your personal info may have been compromised in a recent data breech.
• Desperately seeking this Colombian nail polish brand because it supposedly doesn’t chip.

Have a great day, and oooh! — tell me what kind of coffee you have in your cupboard right now. What’s your favorite blend and brand?

OK, bye!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen