Just For Fun

You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

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 seven 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. My signature makeup look?
   A smokey something-or-other with a cat eye of some sort — some version of a smokey cat eye combination, usually with nude lips because they’re easy. Or, plain lids, big lashes and bright lips.
2. One of my etiquette pet peeves…
   I cannot stand it when the person who uses the bathroom before me doesn’t change the toilet paper, when there’s clearly not enough toilet paper for the next person. They’ll leave one square or an empty roll. Really? You have to — the toilet paper’s gotta get changed! You’re already sitting on the pot, so you might as well change it. It takes like 2 seconds! 🙂
3. My secret beauty weapons are…
   Getting as much sleep as possible (if I could, I’d sleep nine hours per night) and drinking obscene amounts of water.
4. One or two things that are always in my fridge:
   Some kind of stinky cheese (the stinkier the better) and half-eaten cans of cat food.
5. I will never care about…
   Lamb chops.

   I just really don’t like the sound of those two words together.

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. My signature makeup look?
2. One of my etiquette pet peeves…
3. My secret beauty weapons are…
4. One or two things that are always in my fridge:
5. I will never care about…

I sure hope it doesn’t rain on Christmas, but it looks like it might.

That reminds me — when I was young, I was terrified of it raining on Christmas because my grandma once told me that when it rains on Christmas…Jesus is crying, and when you’re in the third grade, and you hear that, and it’s pouring outside, you’re like, “What did I do to make Jesus cry!?”

Yup.

My friend Cindy’s birthday party yesterday was a lot of fun. I feel like we were just celebrating her thirtieth, but this was her fortieth, and it was carb city! We had spaghetti and meatballs and yummy grilled potatoes, some grilled cheeses. It was awesome.

And we all gave her gifts that fit our personalities, like her friend Bernadette, who loves to cook, gave her a fancy imported French pâté, and then I, of course, gave her something beauty-related, a Bvlgari perfume. Her other friend, Grace, who’s kind of a jokester, got her a Hot Guys & Baby Animals calendar, also known as “the gift that keeps on giving.” 🙂

This week, per my feline employer’s demands, we have to leave the premises so that he can hang out with his favorite petsitter, so we’re heading to my parents’ house in the East Bay, and then up to see my in-laws in Redding.

Are you ready for Christmas? Are all the presents wrapped?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Delicious!

I mean it went really well. My friend Alis who cuts my hair took off about four inches and gave me choppy layers.

When she was done I felt like I’d lost 15 pounds, LOL!

Sigh… If it were only that easy (she said, reaching across her desk for another dark chocolate star cookie from Trader Joe’s…).

So my hair hasn’t been this short in three or four years. I’m happy with it for now, but you know how it goes… I’m already thinking about growing it out again to give myself something to do.

Hair goals.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a terrible haircut experience in a while (knocks on wood), thanks to Alis at Fox + Stone Salon. I used to bounce around between stylists all the time, because it was tough finding someone who knew how to discipline and control my wavy hair. Every time I went to a new stylist I’d get stressed out. I never knew if I’d leave the place with something passably decent or full-on wonktacular.

It only took, oh, 30 or so years to find someone who really understood my hair, and now we’re at the point where I know I can just sit in the chair and trust Alis to do whatever she wants, and I’ll be good to go.
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You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

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 seven 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’s one thing every woman should do at least once?
   Travel by herself (safely and smartly, of course). Even if it’s just an overnight jaunt.

   I love traveling with other people, too, but there’s something liberating about doing exactly what you want to do, when you want to do it, without having to coordinate your plans with someone else.

   Wanna eat carrot cake cupcakes for breakfast and then spend the entire afternoon at a museum dedicated to tabby cat-inspired art? Boom, done.

2. Bedazzled statement eyebrows: yes or no?
   I guess if I were one of Gwen Stefani’s backup dancers, then maybe…but for 99.9% of the scenarios I typically encounter in real life, I’m gonna have to go with no.
3. What’s one of the tasks that always seems to be on your to-do list?
   “Clean office.”

   I feel like I’ve been committing to clean my office for about four years…

   I am Sisyphus, and my office is my boulder.

4. Holiday gifts: what’s your strategy?
   To reduce the likelihood of getting another plastic banana holder for Christmas, straight-up ask for a gift list.

   If I don’t get a list, I’ll try to find something fun that reflects the person’s interests (their favorite band, hobby, that kind of thing).

5. Something in your closet that you love so much that you’d be happy to have in every available color?
   My Zella Live-In Leggings. I have them in black, purple, gray and dark gray, but there’s also a light blue. Karl Lagerfeld himself would need the Jaws of Life to wrest these things from my clutches, mwahaha!

Your turn. 🙂 Just copy and paste the following questions into a comment with your answers. I look forward to reading ’em!

1. What’s one thing every woman should do at least once?
2. Bedazzled statement eyebrows: yes or no?
3. What’s one of the tasks that always seems to be on your to-do list?
4. Holiday gifts: what’s your strategy?
5. Something in your closet that you love so much that you’d be happy to have in every available color?

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is open my curtains first thing in the morning to see the Christmas lights on all of the houses in the dawn’s early light.

Aaaaand, it’s raining here again. And it’s gloomy and misty, but that’s OK, because my heart is filled with sunshine and kittens! 🙂

Anywho, the Christmas lights. I don’t know why, but seeing them first thing in the morning always brings a smile to my face.

In other news…I did a little more Christmas decorating last weekend.

Nothing too fancy. Just one string of white lights around the inside of my office window, where it’s visible from the street; some ornaments on the orange tree in the front yard, so now it’s a Merry Citrus (haha); and I hung a pine wreath from Trader Joe’s on the front door, complete with plaid ribbon for flava.

Today, my plan is to do some swatchin’ first thing, then assist the tabby for a few hours, and then take El Hub to the doctor’s office for something called an endoscopy this afternoon, because he’s been having some tummy troubles lately… I’m always a little nervous about medical things (who isn’t?), but I’m just trying to focus on happy thoughts.

I hope your Monday got off to a good start. Your nephew says “mrow!” by the way.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen