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 more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York?
Tokyo because I’ve never been and would love to go. I’d eat all the sushi and stock up on sunscreen and brushes. Ideally it would be during cherry blossom season, which apparently is right around meow!
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips?
Both are fun (and I’d even consider doing them together because why not), but today I’ll take the neon pink lips.
3. Your signature scent at the moment?
I mean if we’re being totally honest it’s Vicks VapoRub! It’s been rough around these parts — just one cold after another since January. Everyone in our fam is getting their immune system worked out, for sure.
4. What do you like most about your job?
I love that I’m able to channel my creativity. I’ve had many non-creative jobs before, and they don’t light me up the way that writing does. It’s also remote, so the flexibility is a HUGE plus.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing?
Hmmm, it would still be something closely tied to beauty, probably in marketing. If pursuing art was an option for me at a younger age, maybe I’d be on a design team. I can see myself doing either.
6. Tights: yes or no?
I don’t mind them as long as they stay up!
7. What are you binge watching right now?
I started watching a Korean drama series on Netflix called “The Glory.” It’s bananas.
8. Who are some of your style icons?
For beauty, Pat McGrath, especially her runway makeup for Dolce & Gabbana. For fashion, lately I’ve been loving the street style of actress Tracee Ellis Ross.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently?
I don’t know why or how this keeps happening, but I’ve accidentally put clothes on backwards a few times in the morning and didn’t figure it out until the afternoon. HA HA HA!
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies?
Platform tennies, please.
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. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York?
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips?
3. Your signature scent at the moment?
4. What do you like most about your job?
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing?
6. Tights: yes or no?
7. What are you binge watching right now?
8. Who are some of your style icons?
9. Something funny that happened to you recently?
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies?
P.P.S. Happy first day of spring, my beautiful friend! I hope that the new season brings you so much joy. Have a spectacular Monday!
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? London -I dream of living in England
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink Lips
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Aromatics by Clinique
4. What do you like most about your job? That I can work independently
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I would love to be a librarian
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes, but I haven’t worn them in years
7. What are you binge watching right now? Daisy Jones & The Six on Netflix
8. Who are some of your style icons? Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore ( I like the suits she wears on her show)
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? nothing comes to mind
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Pointy flats
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I’ve been to London, Paris & lived in New York, I would love to go to Japan.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink Lips
3. Your signature scent at the moment? My forever scent is Chanel #5.
4. What do you like most about your job? Haha, retired last April.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I make soap as a side gig, and love it.
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes, although I haven’t worn them in eons.
7. What are you binge watching right now? Poker Face-on Peacock.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Hoda Kotb on the Today Show.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? Got nothin.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Neither, I have terrible feet – it’s New Balance or Vionic for me.
London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? NY or Paris?
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? pink lip
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Still going through Elizabeth and James Nirvana, wish it hadn’t been discontinued
4. What do you like most about your job? the writing! I really only feel like myself when I’m writing
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I really don’t know.
6. Tights: yes or no? yes
7. What are you binge watching right now? A telenovela from a few years ago called Santa Diabla, featuring Carlos Ponce, on whom I have a big crush. I don’t speak Spanish so I read the subtitles but I’m starting to pick up bits and pieces.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Pass. Recovering from a virus and my brain isn’t working.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? Also pass
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? platform tennies. I’m a major 90’s girl
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I’ve been to all (benefits of being an airline Captain) but I love Paris the most (could it be the pastries and the coffee?)
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink lips – orange is NOT a good color on me anywhere.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Ambreblems Invoke -an Amber oil blend with neroli, jasmine, sandalwood, and rose. Their blends are hypoallergenic and the only fragrance I can use directly on my sensitive skin.
4. What do you like most about your job? I get to help people find closure, even when the circumstances are awful.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I loved being a pilot – I love being a forensic anthropologist/federal investigator. In another life, I think I’d just win the lottery and fly around the world in my private jet solving crimes and eating croissants.
6. Tights: yes or no? No. Give me baggy exercise pants any day.
7. What are you binge watching right now? Nothing at the moment.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Carolina Herrera – yes, a white button-down CAN be evening attire. Iman – she’s classically timeless.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? I have these velcro curlers I put in when my hair is almost dry and still warm, to give it some volume. I wore one out to lunch the other day, stuck to the back of my head.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennis? I have “duck feet” so pointy is out – it would have to be platform tennis.
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? Paris, I know it’s touristy, but I really wanna eat all the pastries and people watch.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink lips. I like the look.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? My Lume deodorant? Lol! I haven’t been wearing perfume lately, it’s gloomy in northern Michigan and I am craving the sunshine. It’s coming, but I’m getting impatient.
4. What do you like most about your job? I’m a stay at home mom, but my kids are 17 and 20, and I like being home for them. But I’m at a weird place where I’m not sure what I want right now.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? Teaching. I don’t go into it because my mom were both going to school to be teachers at the time and I didn’t want to do that too.
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes! Hue tights.
7. What are you binge watching right now? Nothing! There isn’t anything that appeals to me.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Carly Simon, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt. I really like 70’s fashion, but trying to make it look natural and not costumey.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? It’s icy where I am, and I was hiking down an incline a little faster than I should have, and I slipped and landed on my back. I wasn’t hurt at all, because of the incline I just leaned back into the hill, but I was covered in snow. I looked around to make sure I wasn’t seen, it was awesome.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform tennis please! I’m all about comfort!
Hey Stephanie. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for the years when Connor won’t need me so much. What age did your kids started pulling away?
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? all of them . i love city life
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? bright orange
3. Your signature scent at the moment? glossier you
4. What do you like most about your job? the people
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? i dont know
6. Tights: yes or no? no
7. What are you binge watching right now? harlem
8. Who are some of your style icons? Naomi campbell
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? i got dressed up, wore contacts, makeup , just to forget deodorant .
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? pointy flat
Good call on Naomi. She was and is one of my supermodel faves!
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I’ve been to the other 3, so I’ll choose Paris this time.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? I love orange.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Guiding Water from The Harmonist
4. What do you like most about your job? My employers and flexible hours lol. I’m a SAHM since I had my son.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I’d be back in the classroom.
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes
7. What are you binge watching right now? Just finished True Detective S1 and ready to start S2
8. Who are some of your style icons? Audrey Hepburn in the 60s and Kirsten Dunst on the red carpet
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? More embarrassing than funny. I’ve been calling this one lady that I see in golf class once a week the wrong name for several weeks now and she’s never corrected me. Yikes
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? I have 2 platform sneakers from Puma right now. I need the extra 2 inches!
I’ve done that with people’s names, KC. EEK. I called my friend’s kid the wrong name for like THREE YEARS.
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I’m Tokyo right now. But I’d take any of them because they all have mass transit so I can ditch the car for the most part.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Neon pink lips.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Bottega Veneta.
4. What do you like most about your job? Working from home
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? Not sure. I feel like a gray haired Bridget Jones always making a mess of work and my life.
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes, but only in the winter and only if the waist band doesn’t roll when I bend at the waist.
7. What are you binge watching right now? Nothing. But if I can find the World Figure Skating Championships on the hotel TV I’ll probably watch some of that.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Not sure. Somebody elegant and classic. Not too trendy.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? This morning I almost put toothpaste on my feet instead of athlete’s foot cream. Glad it wasn’t the other way around. Yuk.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform tennies. Thinking about donating most of my pointy toed shoes.
Ooh, are the cherry blossoms blooming? Have so much fun on your trip!
The mid March trees are just starting to bloom. Yesterday the trees had from one to a dozen blooms. Today some are in half bloom and others are almost in full bloom. Apparently different trees bloom at different times all the way through April. We walked through Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden this morning and it was beautiful.
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? Today? Today….Paris? I could change my mind tomorrow.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink lips
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Philosophy Fresh Cream
4. What do you like most about your job? I like that my boss is very laid back. I can work from home if the kids are out of school. And he’s not crazy about a dress code. Sometimes I wear a dress…sometimes jeans and sneakers.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? I don’t know. If I grew up in a different area…I think I would have much better options.
6. Tights: yes or no? No
7. What are you binge watching right now? I watched the Hunger Games on Netflix recently
8. Who are some of your style icons? I think Zoe Saldana always looks beautiful.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? Trying to help my son with his science experiment…the wind was awful outside and I had to keep chasing papers all over the yard
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform Tennies…my feet do not do pointy anymore😝
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? Paris – mostly for the art museums.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? Pink lips.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? My Queen (by Alexander McQueen – no longer available).
4. What do you like most about your job? I can work at home a lot of the time.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? If I could do anything, I’d like to paint for a living. Also, I’d like to be a small-time racehorse breeder.
6. Tights: yes or no? Yes.
7. What are you binge watching right now? Nothing. I don’t have anything but a basic service (YouTube TV) right now.
8. Who are some of your style icons? Audrey Hepburn and the costume design work of Edith Head.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? Can’t think of anything. I spend most of my time just trying to keep disaster at bay.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform. I never got to try those when they were popular in the 1970s.
Karen, the poll questions this week are making those old gears in my head turn. Yowza!!
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York?
Karen, I like your thought process of Tokyo for sushi and beauty exclusives but I have to go with London so I can visit the Jo Malone flagship shop.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips?
I love bright orange so it’s the lids.
3. Your signature scent at the moment?
I never have a signature scent–I’m always wearing something new and I never wear the same scent two days in a row. But today I chose an old scent by…Jo Malone called Sweet Milk.
4. What do you like most about your job?
I am a SAHM so there’s not a lot to like about that. (Just joking.) I also sell home fragrances because a good smelling life gives me purpose.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing?
Working in marketing.
6. Tights: yes or no?
Yes
7. What are you binge watching right now?
Letterkenny on Hulu. It’s a quirky, a little vulgar and Canadian!
8. Who are some of your style icons?
Sarah Jessica Parker and a unique classmate from high school days.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently?
Golly, I cannot think of anything.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies?
Pointy flats
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I have been to London and work in New York daily. Would LOVE to go to Paris or Tokyo. But if I have to pick one, I would say Paris.
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? I am an 80’s girl and nothing like a fuschia pink lip esp. in the Summer when your skin is sunkissed.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? Clean Reserve (love the fresh scent)
4. What do you like most about your job? Hybrid hours (working from home and in the office). Love it and do not know how I ever commuted 5 days per week. Exhausting.
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? Something with animals. Love animals! Or selling clothing on my Poshmark site (so shopping wholesale and reselling).
6. Tights: yes or no? love tights! black with a nice skirt and boots.
7. What are you binge watching right now? I am a reality tv girl …so anything reality.
8. Who are some of your style icons? I love Yolanda Hadid’s style. Elle Macpherson as well.
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? Sadly, I cannot think of anything funny during tax season. LOL!
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform tennies..so cute/cool
1. London, Paris, Tokyo or New York? I’d love to visit all of them except Tokyo-Japan doesn’t have public trash cans, so that’s a dealbreaker for me! In order of preference: New York, then London, then Paris (Paris last because my makeup style is far too bright and gauche for the French and I’d be seen as the “ugly American” for my makeup alone!).
2. Bright orange lids or neon pink lips? I am not afraid to wear both at once, but I love neon pink lips more.
3. Your signature scent at the moment? None-I haven’t been wearing perfume lately, and when I do, I don’t wear any particular one enough to become a signature. I love variety too much!
4. What do you like most about your job? I get to work with books and with great people!
5. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t doing what you’re doing? My local outdoor mall has both a Sephora and an Ulta, so TBH I’d probably be working at one of them.
6. Tights: yes or no? No.
7. What are you binge watching right now? I don’t think it counts as binge watching, but I like that most over-the-air TV stations have some length and variety/location of CSI marathon on most nights-the various CSIs seem to hit the sweet spot of comfort and familiarity vs. noticing new details I didn’t catch in a previous viewing. A particular plus of Miami is that it’s very soothing to get home after a chaotic day and watch Horatio Caine be almost eerily calm about pretty much everything!
8. Who are some of your style icons? Anyone who’s unafraid of vibrant makeup!
9. Something funny that happened to you recently? I’m sure there was one, but I’m blanking on it right now.
10. Pointy flat shoes or platform tennies? Platform tennies.