So…what is the Monday Poll?
Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start. ?
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet!
2. Ponytail or braid?
Right now, a braid, ideally low and loose.
On that note, I’ve officially reached a tipping point with my hair.
It. Is. Driving. Me. Crazy.
Whenever I wear a ponytail, I get a headache, unless I wear it at a very specific angle, which is more work than I want to do… My hair is REALLY stressing me out.
3. What color are your eyes?
Dark chocolate brown with a faint dark blue navy ring around the iris (but you gotta look super close to see it).
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
Hmm… Well, not super good, but I’m getting better at it, slowly but surely. I used to keep everything (AND I MEAN EVERYTHING) indefinitely, even expired items for nostalgia, but all I want to keep now are things that haven’t expired and that I wear all the time… Got no room in my life for ongoing nonsense!
5. Which way do you part your hair?
I don’t know anymore! I was parting it on the left for a while, because that seemed to be the way the cray-cray gray hairs instinctively wanted to go, but I’ve come to realize that my hair is toying with my mind. It’s a no-win situation! Lately, I’ve been parting it to the right, but that doesn’t seem to be helping either.
So, yeah, I have no idea at this point, HAHAHA!
6. Highlights or lowlights?
Neither?!
7. Are you a nail biter?
Nah, that was never really one of my things.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
Girl, yes! ? All throughout my tweens and teenss. I wore braces for many, many years and was never completely comfortable with the metal flash in pics. I would try to smile as naturally as I could with a closed mouth. ?
Actually, I’m still self-conscious about my smile, to be honest, because it seems to exaggerate the hooded-ness of my eyes in pics (or at least I think it does).
Also, this might be in my head, but I swear I look considerably older when I smile. I know that getting older is a mandatory ride, and you gotta just come to terms with it at a point, so I try to maintain a good attitude and do it gracefully, but I’ve been kinda struggling with it lately… Hopefully, this too shall pass.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
Oh! — Connor and I did a little bit of gardening. It was warm out here, up into the 70s, so we hung out on the deck and repotted some plants.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.
1. Sweet or sour?
2. Ponytail or braid?
3. What color are your eyes?
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
5. Which way do you part your hair?
6. Highlights or lowlights?
7. Are you a nail biter?
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
P.P.S. Good morning! Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the US. I hope your day got off to a calm and peaceful start, sweet friend. Take care! ?
1. Sweet or sour?
Love a little of both.
2. Ponytail or braid?
Ponytail. I can’t braid my own hair for the life of me. Even though it’s longer now than it’s been in 20 years. I can do a little side braid and pin it back but nothing elaborate.
3. What color are your eyes?
Green-blue with a golden ring around the iris.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
Hmmm…not great? However, the New Year always prompts me to clear out the old, so the past 2 weekends I have done some good cleanout around the house, including my bathroom cabinet and under the sink. I purged quite a bit of old makeup, beauty products and little samples that I’ve kept far too long. It’s the best feeling to have things neatly organized and what I actually use daily to be accessible. I plan on keeping it that way!
5. Which way do you part your hair?
Left for life.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
I’ve only had highlights and that was high school or maybe early college. I’m not opposed to trying either now though!
7. Are you a nail biter?
Nope.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
YES! I had braces pretty early and I’ve had various dental issues throughout my life. I finally had some bonding redone about 3 years ago, have been vigilant about using my Sonicare and regular cleanings, and have felt pretty good about them since.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
I tried out my new to me Nespresso machine! My very kind neighbor upgraded her machine and gave me her “old” one (she’s only had since October). The coffee I’ve tried so far is outstanding! I feel pretty fancy.
Hope everyone has a great week!
1- Sweet or sour? Sweet definitely
2- Ponytail or braid? Neither as my hair is quite short.
3- What color are your eyes? Green
4- How good are you at purging your makeup collection? I’m terrible.
5- Which way do you part your hair? I don’t really part, but if I had to – on the left.
6- Highlights or lowlights? I have highlights now and really like it.
7- Are you a nail biter? I was, when I was a kid, but I tried really hard to stop.
8- Have you ever felt self conscious about your smile? Oh yes, I also had braces from 10-19. That sort of thing changes you I think.
9- Something fun you did over the weekend. We went house hunting! Hopefully buying a new house soon, can’t wait.
I love my Nespresso machine – I freely admit to being a coffee addict! Mine is about 1 1/2 years old.
1. I’ll go with sweet.
2. Used to be a braid but I since chopped off a few inches so braids are harder to come by! So, pony for now. I hope your ponytail starts feeling better! You have such thick, long hair!
3. Dark brown.
4. I’m getting better! I used to keep the packaging for all my KVD Beauty products because they were so pretty. I’m tying to be better at getting rid of it.
5. I don’t, really! It does it’s own thing.
6. I’m with you Karen, neither!
7. No, but my son is.
8. Only in pictures. My teeth are slightly uneven so a tooth or 2 looks to be in the shadows which I feel throws off my smile. In person I don’t think it’s that noticeable. Lighting changes everything!
9. Played Mario Bros with the fam.
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail. My hair is so thin right now, I’m not sure there’s enough to braid. Not to mention how many times I’d have to loop the hair tie over the pencil thin end.
3. What color are your eyes? Green.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Not very. But I’ve been pulling out and wearing a different shadow palette and foundation every day. One, just to get myself out of this hibernation rut and two, to see if I still like the the palettes or if the foundations still work as my skin is changing. I’ve tossed two or three foundations this way. Not gonna lie, it’s harder to toss palettes.
5. Which way do you part your hair? Mostly from over my left eye angled in as it goes back. But I’ve noticed lots of thinning, so I try to switch it up or just pull it back into a low ponytail or bun without parting it.
6. Highlights or lowlights? Neither.
7. Are you a nail biter? Nope. Never was.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Not really. I have dimples and I always liked them and thought they made up for my crooked and not very white teeth.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Made two batches of Mapo Tofu, one nicely spiced and the other searing hot for Dear Husband. Also attempted to make rice crust with the leftover rice. We also watched the first two episodes of WandVision.
Hope it’s not too windy up your way. The winds are picking up down this way and I’m a bit worried about how dry it is. As much as I love the sunshine, I wish it would rain, I wish it would rain, I wish it would rain.
We were in Sonoma yesterday and it was crazy windy! Windy up here, too. What did you think of WandaVision?
OMGosh! The wind is even crazier today!
Dear Daughter is a huge Marvel universe fan, so of course we needed to watch. In some ways it’s weird and confusing (because, what the heck are they doing in that situation?) but it’s fun and I’m looking forward to seeing where they take the series. DD was going to wait until all the episodes were release at the end of Feb or March, but we decided to watch them one episode at a time, as they’re released.
We watched the first two episodes too and I don’t know what to quite make of it! El Hub has more background knowledge and filled me on the backstory, but I’m having a hard time getting into it. I do love the styling, though, especially the hair.
Is it just me, or does the wind make you nervous now?
The wind makes me extremely nervous now. Especially considering how dry it’s been. Sigh. I fear fire season will start very early this year and last a lot longer than it has in any season past. I guess I’d better get organized and have a couple of “go bags” packed, just in case.
Yeah, I’m not as familiar with Wanda as I am with Vision. I just wasn’t sure what the references to “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Smallville” had to do with Wanda or Vision. Dear Daughter just kept saying be patient, I’m sure it will all be revealed. I hate any reference to Hydra because it makes me think of all the political weirdness going on now.
Oh my gosh, I know. I really do hope it rains soon.
Re: WandaVision. I wish they had released all of the episodes at once; I think I would be more inclined to keep going with the show. We’ll probably end up watching it anyway because I can barely find anything in Netflix these days (besides Schitt’s Creek, which I should be finishing up this week).
Argh! A dozen fires broke out down here on the peninsula and near Santa Cruz because of the high and dry winds. Luckily, most of them have been contained.
Netflix. Here’s a list of things we’ve enjoyed this past year on Netflix. They may not be your cup of tea, but I’m throwing them out there anyway.
Midnight Diner and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. Japanese with subtitles. I liked “Tokyo Stories” a bit more, as it was newer. About an overnight diner in Tokyo and the “master” who will make any food for you as long as he has the ingredients and a cast of regular “characters”.
Giri/Haji- Partly in Japanese (subtitles) and partly in London. About a Tokyo police detective who’s younger brother is presumed dead after being involved with Yakuza, but is suspected of a crime in London and the detective is sent there to find his brother. This one was soooo good. I watched it twice.
Queen’s Gambit- About a young girl who is orphaned and learns to play chess. Really good.
Crash Landing on You- Korean with subtitles. About an heiress who ends up in North Korea after a freak storm sends her hang glider over the border. Funny and tender and romantic.
Call My Agent – French w/subtitles About a French talent agency. Funny. Lots of famous French actors make appearances as themselves.
The Good Place – About the afterlife. Funny. Ran on network TV first. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson.
Lucifer- About the devil come to earth. Dear Daughter and I really liked this one. Tom Ellis is easy to look at and the woman who play’s his sidekick is badass.
Memories of The Alhambra- Korean (subtitles) about an A.I. Virtual reality game that gets out of hand. (Wasn’t the best, wasn’t the worst)
Misaeng (Incomplete Life)- Korean (subtitles) About a guy who gets a coveted internship spot at an international trading company even though he doesn’t have a college education and the office characters around him.
Russian Doll – This was really good. About a young woman who keeps reliving the same day and tries to figure a way out.
Travelers – This is older. About travelers from the future who try to stop the downfall of humankind…. or not.
Turn Up Charlie – Idris Elba as a DJ trying to make a comeback while being a nanny for his friends in the music biz.
Don’t know if you have access to Amazon Prime but we just watched the first episode of “Corner Gas”. Really dry, oddball humor. About a gas station and diner in rural Saskatchewan.
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet, although I like sweet & sour candy occasionally.
2. Ponytail or braid?
Ponytail. My hair is too short to braid.
3. What color are your eyes?
Very boring blue.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
I used to be very good about that, but I’ve put on makeup so seldom during the past year that I haven’t been keeping it up.
5. Which way do you part your hair?
It parts naturally on the left side.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
Neither. Too much trouble.
7. Are you a nail biter?
No.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
A little bit.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
A lot of family drama going on right now, so it wasn’t a fun weekend.
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail
3. What color are your eyes? Blue with gold flecks
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Good, but I’m trying to be better, lol.
5. Which way do you part your hair? To the right
6. Highlights or lowlights? Both
7. Are you a nail biter? No, but I pick at hangnails
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Yes because my gums show and while my teeth are straight, my teeth are tiny. I’m getting better though.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Watched Search Party and slept in.
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet.
2. Ponytail or braid?
I never got my hair long enough to have a good ponytail but I could do a good dutch braid.
3. What color are your eyes?
Dark brown.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
I think I’m good, the only thing I still haven’t sent to the trash is my Studio fix foundation which expired on November.
5. Which way do you part your hair?
The way my hair wants that day, I’m again in that moment when letting your hair grow that doesn’t really have a form.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
Highlights? I think I’d rather have an ombre.
7. Are you a nail biter?
I’ve never been.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
Yep, because of a mistake with my braces one of my front teeth is bigger than the other, and my mom always talk about it in a frustrated way, so I got too conscious about it, even though many people doesn’t notice until I mention it.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
Netflix, I needed that mental break. I watched Mexican Nailed it, and I laughed a lot.
I hope everybody is having a good day.
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet – chocolate preferably lol
2. Ponytail or braid?
Ponytail.
3. What color are your eyes?
Dark chocolate brown
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
Bwahahaha – I recall I did a post on your blog back in September (?) saying I was purging my old stuff….well, about 3/4 of it got purged before the temptation to fill in the empty spots took over! Aaagh!
5. Which way do you part your hair?
Used to be left, but now it’s right due to getting older and needing more volume in front.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
Neither. I haven’t colored my hair in about 5 years, and am liking the contrast of white and black hair.
7. Are you a nail biter?
Nope!
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
Oh goodness yes! I wore braces during the ‘super angsty years’ (7th to 9th grade) due to having a huuuuge gap between my two front teeth. Ugh. Plus my teeth have shifted slightly, and my dentist told me that it’s because as you age, your teeth are constantly moving forward and if you had braces, you need to keep wearing retainers to keep teeth in place (oopsie).
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
I got to participate in a closed beta session for a new computer MMORPG game that’s going to be launched sometime late this year or early next year. Oh, and I just started watching Bridgerton. I’m going to have to write down all the character names in that one, though to keep track of who everyone is.
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet.
2. Ponytail or braid? Braid, a loose one. Ponytails give me terrible tangles.
3. What color are your eyes? Medium brown.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? So good! I only keep what I wear.
5. Which way do you part your hair? I used to be a center part only, but I’ve recently gotten into wearing a right part. Not too low though.
6. Highlights or lowlights? I have neither, but either would be fine. I don’t like upkeep.
7. Are you a nail biter? No. I’ll mess with a hangnail, so I’m really working on keeping everything moisturized so I don’t get them.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? No. And my grill before braces was horrendous, it was so bad, but it didn’t bother me, I didn’t think it was that bad. I was wrong. Lol! Braces for two years straightened everything out. My parents drilled into us that they spent a lot on our teeth, we need to smile with teeth!
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? I went thrifting with my 15 year old daughter, we found lots of treasures we left for someone else, and a few tank tops for my kid, and a few hoodies for me. We’re working on being more sustainable.
Hi Karen!
This Monday has been really hard. I got a call from my auntie informing me that my Grampy passed away from a heart attack that he had on Thursday. No one even informed me he had had a heart attack. I’m a bit upset.
1. Sweet or sour?
I tend to err more sweet.
2. Ponytail or braid?
Braids. Diagonal are my favorite.
3. What color are your eyes?
A light cognac brown.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
I have a collection? Girl, I’m allergic to dimethicone; my collection just met the bin a few months ago.
5. Which way do you part your hair?
Left, right, center…it goes everywhere.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
My hair is natural currently so it is a mix of all sorts of browns.
7. Are you a nail biter?
I am reformed nail biter.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
Yes.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
I had some me time with Bree and got new glasses.
I’m sorry for your loss, Kate.
1. Sweet or sour?
Today, sour.
2. Ponytail or braid?
Ponytail. My braiding skills are severely lacking.
3. What color are your eyes?
Blue. They seem to vary from light grayish blue to a darker blue.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
Not very! My weakness is eyeshadow. I tend to only pitch it if it smells bad AND I didn’t spend much for it. Hoping to change that in the new year!
5. Which way do you part your hair?
Currently, in the middle.
6. Highlights or lowlights?
Highlights.
7. Are you a nail biter?
All through grade school and most of high school, I was a horrible nail-biter. Eventually I trained myself out of it, but don’t recall how I did.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
The two years with braces weren’t that bad, but the retainer just seemed like an unnecessary embarrassment.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
Watched the AKC National Championship on the telly. The dogs were all adorable.
BTW, that dark ring that separates the colored part (iris) of your eye from the white part (sclera) is called a limbal ring. Many studies have found that people are attracted to a defined limbal ring. Consider it a beauty mark ?
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet
2. Ponytail or braid? Loose, low pony tail or braid. Notice the operative words are loose and low.
3. What color are your eyes? Dark warm green with a charcoal limbal ring.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Excellent! I have no trouble saying goodbye to makeup that has passed its prime, no longer interests me, or that was a mistake to begin with (thankfully not many of those).
5. Which way do you part your hair? Sometimes left, s0metimes right, but most of the time I just go with the natural part that is slightly off center.
6. Highlights or lowlights? My once dark hair is now shot through with grey so let’s call all that silver highlights.
7. Are you a nail biter? No
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? No
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Sadly, nothing fun. I spent the weekend cleaning out the garage.
Ooh la la, limbal ring!
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet!
2. Ponytail or braid?
Braid, but my hair is a bit too short for one rn. Unfortunate backyard haircut situation.
3. What color are your eyes?
Dark brown.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
Terrible. I’ve been planning to go through it soon.
5. Which way do you part your hair?
However it falls in the middle (it’s not a very precise part)
6. Highlights or lowlights?
I’m not coloring my hair anymore.
7. Are you a nail biter?
No.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
I do right now. I had a root canal many years ago in one of my front teeth, which has darkened. I need to have a bleaching procedure done. It makes me very self conscious.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
Went to Ocean Beach in SF, always so lovely.
I used to live walking distance to Ocean Beach, Ewa. It’s one of my favorite places. Have you visited Land’s End lately? I love it there, too. I used to go running there all the time.
1. Sweet or sour? Both, depending on the food. I really like sour blue raspberry Jello!
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail.
3. What color are your eyes? Gray. The exact shade varies depending on my mood and what clothes and makeup I’m wearing, but I’d say the basic color is green-gray.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? I’m not! I basically don’t throw anything out unless it smells bad or otherwise no longer works right.
5. Which way do you part your hair? I don’t actively part it-I brush my bangs out and the rest of my hair just separates however it wants to.
6. Highlights or lowlights? Neither-my hair naturally has a lot of different tones to it.
7. Are you a nail biter? No.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Occasionally. I had braces in middle school but have been really bad about retainer use ever since, so now the front bottom left tooth sticks out. My orthodontist says I don’t need to see about getting it realigned unless it gets to the point where it’s causing pain or interfering with eating or talking (so far so good on that front), but every so often it aesthetically bothers me.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? I watched a partial SVU marathon after getting home from my weekend shift Saturday night.
Detective Stabler for life!!!
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet.
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail – my hair is never long enough to braid, and often is too short for a decent ponytail.
3. What color are your eyes? Hazel. If you look closely, you can see dark blue-gray, green, gold, and brown. From a distance they look mostly green.
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Not very.
5. Which way do you part your hair? I don’t – I pull my hair over the top of my head and secure it. I used to part it in the middle when that was the style, and I didn’t have visible roots of a different color.
6. Highlights or lowlights? Neither. Too much trouble and too expensive.
7. Are you a nail biter? Not now, but I was as a child.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Yes. I had severely crooked teeth until I was 17 and got braces. Also, I think my face looks weird when I smile. I’ve never had much to smile about in my life, anyway. And as for looking older, it will definitely cause a LOT of wrinkles if you smile often.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Nothing, really.
1. Sweet or sour? sour but i love both like sour patch kids
2. Ponytail or braid? pony tails, braids can get heavy
3. What color are your eyes? dark brown
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? not good , I belong on hoarders
5. Which way do you part your hair? middle
6. Highlights or lowlights? neither but lowlights
7. Are you a nail biter? yes
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? no. lies , as a kid i was
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? watch netflix
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail
3. What color are your eyes? Super dark brown / almost black
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Oh boy, I am Terr-i-ble at it. Thanks for the reminder to do it!
5. Which way do you part your hair? Whichever way it wants to go
6. Highlights or lowlights? Both
7. Are you a nail biter? No
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Yes! I have a gummy smile which I’m always trying not to smile all the way so my gums won’t show.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Gosh nothing really. Went birding with a friend who drug me for 5 miles through this waster water treatment plant & he wore me out! We were looking for a particular bird for me (a Life Bird), but no luck. Oh well it was good hanging out with him and at least I got my steps in for the day! (or the week – ha!)
1. Sweet or sour? Sour, even bitter sometimes!
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail or hair in a french hair clip.
3. What color are your eyes? Dark brown
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Pretty good, although I find some categories harder to purge than others (looking at you, lipsticks and blushes)
5. Which way do you part your hair? On the right, simply because my hair is less full on the left and parting it there would show my patches of less full hair
6. Highlights or lowlights? Highlights, but if if my hair would get too light, absolutely lowlights
7. Are you a nail biter? Nope
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Yes, only because of the possibility of a random shred of food in my teeth!
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Took 3 lovely long walks/hikes with the family and our dog.
1. Sweet or sour?
Sweet
2. Ponytail or braid?
Ponytail
3. What color are your eyes?
Brown
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection?
I’m getting better. I’ve been in the process of purging stuff that’s been sitting in my collection for far too long. I’m just keeping the makeup that I know that I will use.
5. Which way do you part your hair?
Left side
6. Highlights or lowlights?
I like highlights, but haven’t done them in a long time. Lots of upkeep!
7. Are you a nail biter?
No.
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile?
Not really.
9. Something fun you did over the weekend?
Nothing particularly exciting.
I just realized I’m literally a week late for this poll.
1. Sweet or sour? Sweet (which will tell you how much I dislike sour!)
2. Ponytail or braid? Ponytail
3. What color are your eyes? Green
4. How good are you about purging your makeup collection? Terrible. I only use a few items consistently and there are a bunch of things that just sit for “special occasions”.
5. Which way do you part your hair? Your comment made me laugh because I flip-flop as well. My issue is cowlicks, though. Right now I’m parting on my left (so my hair is pushed to my right).
6. Highlights or lowlights? I like both; currently have neither.
7. Are you a nail biter? No, but I’m a chronic hangnail cutter (with cuticle nippers).
8. Have you ever felt self-conscious about your smile? Since I was old enough to realize people care how you look (probably around 7th grade). They’ve been a huge priority ever since, which sadly has been a big investment. I feel like I look 30 lbs heavier when I smile so I hear you on thinking you look older (you don’t, though; you have a beautiful smile!!).
9. Something fun you did over the weekend? Got together with the girls for pizza, wings and a few drinks.
Better late than never, friend!!!