Giveaways

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Carol! Congratulations, Carol! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

World’s Best Programmer: Tabs the Cat.

Programmer, gamer, hacker, creator of famous 8-bit graphical works of art — not to mention world-renowned plus-size kitty supermodel.

Tabs sent a very important email last night…an email that could change the course of history and alter the fabric of space and time, at least as it pertains to plus-size kitty supermodeling and professional gaming.

It was an email sent to Satoru Iwata, the current president of Nintendo corporation, the world’s largest video game company by revenue, and it starts with the line, “Let me resurrect Donkey Kong.”

Unbeknownst to me before last night, Tabs actually has an honorary degree in computer programming from NIT (the Novato Institute of Technology).

You see, back before he got into modeling, even before his stint as a construction worker, Tabs was a famous script kitty… Actually, he was the scr1ptki77y, otherwise known as the cat who hacked the PetCo corporate network, which was believed to be impregnable at the time.

Anyway, Tabs gave up hacking and transitioned to kitty modeling shortly after the PetCo incident, when it started looking like the authorities were closing in on him.

This was a few years ago, and since then the statute of limitations on kitty hacking expired, and so Tabs is now comfortable publicly discussing this part of his past…

In the email to Iwata, Tabs included the first 500 lines of code for his new game engine, which he claims is so sophisticated that it makes Halo and Call of Duty look like Pong.

Time will tell, I guess. If Iwata responds and offers a coding job to Tabs, Makeup and Beauty Blog may be going on temporary hiatus…

If that happens, this could be one of the last Sephora eGift card giveaways for a while. You better enter this one right now, just in case. 🙂

What folks are saying…

“What a lovely surprise it was to see your announcement (after completing one of many exams/papers/projects I have this crazy week)! The eCard will definitely ease expenses for this broke, beauty-obsessed college student. Thank you, Karen and Tabs!!”
-Katie

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Thank you SO much Karen! OMG! Wishes really do come true! I can’t believe I won! You have no idea how much this will help me through the holidays. I’ve been an avid fan of your blog for the past two years. Your witty and creative entries, informative makeup information, and beautiful photos have kept me hooked. I look forward to more of it. Goodness, you’ve
seriously just made my week and it’s only Tuesday night!”
-Zharlynne

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what’s your all-time favorite video game (and favorite game of the moment)? Have you ever written a computer program? Do you do more of your makeup and beauty shopping in stores or online? What’s your favorite beauty brand website? Do you use any electronic devices in your beauty regimen (iPhones, Clarisonics, vibrating mascara wands, etc.)? How many bits are in a byte? Just for fun, how do you see technology changing the beauty industry 20 years from now? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/UyhKP2

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Carol! Congratulations, Carol! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lexi! Congratulations, Lexi! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

“Wait — but who’s bringing the folding chairs?!”

Gah!

Holiday stress. Yep, it’s that time of year. It’s hard enough trying to balance your regular workload while attending to your feline/canine/human teenage, infant or adolescent overlord’s needs, but then you throw Thanksgiving preparations on top of that, and stress levels go ballistic!

What’s a guy or girl to do?

Well, there’s herbal tea… 🙂

But tea is only marginally helpful.

In my case, I also turn to TV, chocolate and makeup, preferably all at the same time, LOL!

Welcome to another weekend, friend. I hope you’re hanging in there. Tabs, El Hub and I are doing our best.

Oh, I ended up liking that movie I watched last night, Your Sister’s Sister. I can’t believe the main dude in it is Mark Duplass from The League (it also stars Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt). I thought it was a little emotionally twisted, but not too bad. I liked it (although I wanted more from the ending).

In other news, it’s Sephora eGift card giveaway time! — and it only takes a comment to enter (full details down below).

Good luck! And may the fierce force be with you. 🙂

What folks are saying…

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“What a lovely surprise it was to see your announcement (after completing one of many exams/papers/projects I have this crazy week)! The eCard will definitely ease expenses for this broke, beauty-obsessed college student. Thank you, Karen and Tabs!!”
-Katie

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Thank you SO much Karen! OMG! Wishes really do come true! I can’t believe I won! You have no idea how much this will help me through the holidays. I’ve been an avid fan of your blog for the past two years. Your witty and creative entries, informative makeup information, and beautiful photos have kept me hooked. I look forward to more of it. Goodness, you’ve
seriously just made my week and it’s only Tuesday night! :)”
-Zharlynne

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what makeup brush do you use most often? Most underrated makeup or beauty brand? Who’s your favorite actress on TV? Has it started snowing where you live? Do you prefer to shave, wax or pluck? If you could change your eye color (and wanted to), what color would you choose? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/Wdwhie

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lexi! Congratulations, Lexi! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is blkrox! Congratulations, blkrox! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Greetings, fearless beauty lover! Welcome to another weekend. 🙂

So, painted walls. That’s been the highlight of my week. I finally — and I say finally as in FINALLY — made big progress on Project Dining Room. I am now the proud owner of Wythe Blue walls. Next up! — a dining room table, which I hope to have this week.

Yup, no more eating at a coffee table on the floor. I’ve been doing that a long, long time, and let me tell ya, it’s so played out…

In other news, Bond! James Bond. El Hub and I braved long lines and popcorn-related espionage last night to see Skyfall, and it’s right up there with Casino Royale as one of my favorite Bond movies of all time.

I hope you have a few minutes to unwind and recharge your batteries this weekend. In our fast-paced world, where we’re always multitasking, we have to try to find small blocks of time to take off our thinking caps and just veg out for a while. It’s important, you know?

Have a great, great weekend, and I’ll talk to you very soon. Good luck in this weekend’s $50 Sephora eGift card giveaway. Details to enter are just a few inches below.

Now, I’ve got a dining room table to find…

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, how do you wear your hair when you work out? What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever done? Do you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? What’s your favorite moisturizer of all time? How do you like your pizza? Jason Bourne or James Bond? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/TyJkst

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is blkrox! Congratulations, blkrox! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Zhar! Congratulations, Zhar! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

NOVATO, California (November 3, 2012) — This November, for one day only, cats are taking over Sephora.

“It’s about damned time,” said Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog mascot and world-renowned plus-size kitty supermodel. “Cats are synonymous with beauty, and my feline friends and I plan to change the beauty world, one tail twitch at a time.”

This Sunday, November 4, Tabs and other feline fashion and beauty industry heavyweights will take over the regular staffing duties of Sephora employees and makeup artists at select stores worldwide. The cats will man the registers, cruise the aisles and advise beauty lovers on fragrance, skincare and cosmetics from a feline perspective. Shoppers can also expect to learn about cat-approved products.

“My friends and I are very excited to partner with Sephora on this exciting project,” said Tabs. “I can’t wait to help women realize their beautiful potential. It’s going to be a blast.” 🙂

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! Welcome to the weekend. Hope you had a nice Friday night. Mine was pretty chill. El Hub and I had date night at Pasta Pomodoro, and then came home and rented a movie, Safety Not Guaranteed (a little slow, but charming).

I haven’t figured out my plan for the day yet, but I do know it involves a workout and some mommy and tabby time.

Don’t forget to enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 eGift card to Sephora before you go (details below). Have a great weekend, and may the odds be ever in your favor. Talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what were you doing in 1990 (if you weren’t born yet, that counts as an answer)? Do you do big hair? What brush do you use for bronzer? Do you know of a full-coverage under-eye concealer that doesn’t look cakey? Recommendations for affordable clip-in bangs that don’t look too terrible? What’s the best full-coverage foundation for very dry, flaky skin? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RDXqZO

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Zhar! Congratulations, Zhar! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is AG! Congratulations, AG! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

I’ve been testing Canon’s brand new camera flash this week, the Wonderland WL-600, and wow! — it’s even better than I expected. I took it to the Sephora store down the street and fired off a couple of shots. That’s one of ’em up there at the top…

Pretty neat, huh? That’s the amazing stuff we’re missing when we just look with our normal eyes. 🙂

In other news, happy Saturday! I just hopped off the treadmill after a slightly grueling run, and now I’m just cooling down for a few minutes before I clean up.

How’s it going today? Big storm out there off the East Coast… I hope it decides to take a hard right today and heads out to sea.

Wherever you are, and whatever you’re up to this weekend, have a good one, okay? You deserve a break.

Before you jet, take a moment to enter this weekend’s $50 Sephora eGift card giveaway. It only takes a comment at the bottom of this post (and a tweet for a second chance to win).

Good luck!

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, do you believe in magic? Are you good at Trivial Pursuit? What’s your favorite shampoo? How do you feel about body glitter/shimmer? Are you a gamer? How often do you line your lips? Favorite winter moisturizer? What’s the most touching book you’ve ever read? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RnrH0K

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is AG! Congratulations, AG! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Shana! Congratulations, Shana! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

I’m not the only person here at Tabs the Cat Industries, LLC./Makeup and Beauty Blog who suffers under the wrath of Tabs. El Hub is another long-suffering employee.

As chauffer, he had to go out this morning to pick up some dry cleaning (Tabs had a black-tie event the other night and spilled gravy all over his bow tie and cuffs), a bag of kitty litter (Tabs likes World’s Best) and a decaf pumpkin spice soy chai latte from Starbucks.

I figured that since El Hub was already gonna be going to Starbucks for Tabs…maybe he could bring one back for me. 🙂

And he did!

YUM! I just finished scraping the last bubbles of foam out of the cup with a spoon.

So good!

Now that I’m powered by pumpkins and caffeine, I feel ready to tackle my day. I need to get some groceries and want to stop by a paint store to get samples for the dining room. I’m still not 100% decided on Benjamin Moore’s Wythe Blue.

Saturdays aren’t just for running errands and doing your cat’s bidding, though. Around here, they’re also for giveaways, like this one here. Take a quick minute to enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 Sephora e-gift card.

Details down below…

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what color are the walls in your bedroom? How do you like your eggs (scrambled, sunny side up, over easy, etc.)? Who’s the sassiest diva (human or pet) in your life? If you were an animal (a different animal, let’s say), which animal would you be? Favorite moisturizing lip balm/product? Do you ever leave the house wearing pajamas? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/UgxmK7

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Shana! Congratulations, Shana! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lisa G-L! Congratulations, Lisa G-L! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

It’s hard to believe it’s already October… Halloween is just a couple weeks away. Pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and we actually had our first rains of the season this week.

Not cool, Mother Nature. Not cool. 🙂

A lot of my friends prefer this time of year, the autumn, but I wish we could just have summer all year long. I’m one of those savannah cats that likes the heat more than the cold.

This weekend, I just want to catch my breath, watch a little Revenge on TV and maybe do some shopping for a dining room table.

Yes, I still have an empty dining room after more than three years. Well, except for the cardboard boxes, bags of clothes for donation and the food and water bowls for Tabs. He sort of owns the dining room right now, but I reeeeally want it back.

My in-laws have been visiting for a couple days, so that’s been nice. They’ve been keeping themselves busy during the day while El Hub and I work, but we meet them at night for meals. We went out to dinner to a little Italian place in the very pretty, woodland town of Larkspur last night (Fabrizio’s Ristorante), and in a little while we’re meeting them down the street here in Novato for breakfast at Marvin’s.

You know how it is when people visit from out of town. You eat lots and lots and food.

I hope whatever you’re up to, things are good. Have a great day today, and good luck in this weekend’s Sephora e-gift card giveaway. Talk to you soon. 🙂

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what’s your favorite season? Do you like Italian food? Would you ever dye your hair a bright primary color? What’s your current favorite hairstyling product? How do you feel about glitter on your nails? What are you doing this weekend? Have you ever carved a pumpkin? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/RlBYsS

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Lisa G-L! Congratulations, Lisa G-L! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂