giveaway

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

Morning! 🙂 Please, come in. How sweet of you to stop by on my last official Saturday as a 36-year-old.

Got a pre-birthday celebration lined up with my friends Jen and Cindy today. Hard to believe they were also at my 16th birthday party…which was 20 years ago!

We’re spending the day in San Francisco together, first with drinks at the W Hotel, and then with some pampering at the Bliss Spa (located in the W).

I CANNOT WAIT! I could really use a massage. My back has more knots in it than a bad macramé project, I kid you knot. Time to get tenderized like a hunk o’ meat!

After that, it’s over to the Samovar Tea Lounge for tea and noms.

Should be a great day. I don’t get to see Jen and Cindy nearly enough. We’re all so busy now.

Got my iPhone all charged up, and Tabs will be on call here managing the blog.

Have a great day today, and good luck in this weekend’s giveaway. Talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“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. 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

“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, have you ever been to a spa? What’s your favorite type of coffee or tea? Have you ever had a bad spa experience? Who are your closest friends? Best birthday you ever had? — 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/L94xcc

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 3, 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 Halifax! Congratulations, Halifax! 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 Katie-Jean! Congratulations, Katie-Jean! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Whenever I play Maroon 5 in my office Tabs runs out of the room (he will hang out for Biggie though, LOL!). I’m telling you this because I can’t get that Payphone song out of my head, and I’ve been listening to it repeatedly, much to Tabs’ chagrin.

El Hub came home singing it the other day, and now it seems like we don’t go 20 minutes before one of us starts, “I’m at a payphone…”

Tabs has not been thrilled. 🙂

I’ve been trying to remember the last time I actually used a payphone, and I think it might’ve been around 1993. Hard to believe there was a time when you couldn’t easily get a hold of people 24 hours a day, isn’t it?

Now, I feel weird whenever I’m without my iPhone. Although, truth be told, I use my phone more to take pics of my cat than I do to speak with people, haha!

I just don’t have the patience to sit and talk on the phone for long periods of time anymore, not that I’m a bigger fan of texting, especially when it comes to sharing important news or well-wishes, like “Happy birthday!” or “Merry Christmas!” For things like that, I think you still gotta pick up the phone.

A single gal pal of mine tells me that texting is the big thing now in dating. She says that when boys ask her out, they always do it via text.

I don’t know if I could handle that if I were single. I mean, what if you met a really cute, great guy who texted terribly? I’m not down for dudes who send texts like, “C U 2NITE!” Please, I beg you, take the extra 5 seconds to spell out your words. Please.

Then again, I broke up with a guy once because he used ellipses at the end of every sentence in his emails… (I know I use them a lot, too…and I purposefully leave off that fourth dot at the end of sentences.)

I’ll say this about El Hub: the boy gives GREAT email.

I’ve been out of the dating game for a while, so I’m curious — what’s it like nowadays? For the single gals (and guys), do you think it’s easier or tougher to find a decent date? Does technology help or hinder dating?

Before you go, don’t forget to enter today’s Sephora eCard giveaway. I’m gonna go grab a second cup of coffee now. Be right back.

What folks are saying…

“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. 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

“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 was the worst date you’ve ever been on? And the best date? What are your dating deal-breakers (I just watched that episode of 30 Rock)? What’s your favorite date night look? Have you ever asked someone out on a date? What’s your current relationship status? — 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/LmXcpX

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 27, 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 Katie-Jean! Congratulations, Katie-Jean! 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 Alyse! Congratulations, Alyse! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Yesterday, I was digging through some old CDs at home when I came across an oldie but a goodie. Remember Version 2.0 by Garbage?

I remember buying it on a whim one day right after it came out. It must have been around 1998. I was in my last quarter in college, and I’d listen to it every day while I did my homework.

Brings back memories… That was a very exciting time filled with promise, but also some nervous uncertainty. I was almost finished with school and itching to move back to the Bay Area from Davis, but I was getting ready to leave something familiar (school) to enter the next phase of my life — or what my parents referred to as “the real world.”

The last time I listened to this CD was probably 10 years ago, and man! — it’s still great. Yesterday when Temptation Waits and Push It kicked in, I couldn’t believe I still remembered all of the words.

Did anyone else secretly want to be Shirley Manson? She seems like such an @ss kicker. An @ss kicker in red lipstick and smokey eyes!

Speaking of makeup, it’s Saturday! Which means it’s time for you know what.

What folks are saying…

“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. 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

“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 do bold red lips and smokey eyes? Could you see yourself as the lead singer in a rock band? What’s an album that reminds you of school? What’s your favorite red lipstick of all time? Have you ever had red hair? — 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/J7s1R9

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 13, 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 Alyse! Congratulations, Alyse! 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 Jane! Congratulations, Jane! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

My heavens, it’s such a nice day out here. I woke up feeling a little run down today, like I didn’t sleep well for some reason, but then El Hub opened the drapes and a wave of warm sunshine flooded over me. Suddenly I felt a whole lot better. 🙂

Rise and shine, morning glory! Welcome to the weekend.

Not much on my plate today, other than catching up on some emails and doing a little product testing. I would like to go get Mexican food for lunch and maybe go for a hike to soak up some of this sunshine. That sounds like a nice way to spend a Cinco de Mayo.

I think I’m gonna go make myself a second cup of Kauai coffee now. Why don’t you enter today’s Sephora eGift card giveaway while I’m gone?

Be right back.

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

“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. 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

“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, have you ever been to Mexico? Are you currently happy with your hair? What are you wearing on your nails? Describe your skincare regimen. Are you reading anything good? How do you feel about audio books? — 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/JTNDeV

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 6, 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 Jane! Congratulations, Jane! 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 Jill! Congratulations, Jill! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Good morning, fellow beauty lovers. Thank you for visiting! I hope this morning finds you well. 🙂

Did you do anything fun last night? It was such a warm evening here — the warmest of the year so far — so we had all the windows open, which was neat and weird because of all the nighttime noises outside that I haven’t heard this clearly in a while, like the neighborhood dogs barking (and barking and barking and barking), distant conversations, cars accelerating off on some road somewhere, crickets providing constant background music to everything, a shy owl hooting quietly every so often, leaves rustling, and the occasional siren…to which every dog within a 2-mile radius barks, “I hear that! I hear it too! I hear it more than you do! No way I hear it more! Guys I hear it now!” LOL!

We just stayed home, ate mango bars and chilled grapes, and finished watching Jason Bourne Bought a Zoo. Between the tigers chuffing and lions roaring in that, and the suburban symphony outside, it was like a Doctor Dolittle sequel up in here, haha! I loved it.

This weekend’s gonna be a busy one for me because…El Hub and I are going to Kauai!

Not this weekend, but late next week, so I have a lot to take care of before we leave.

I’ve been busy prepping what I hope will be some pretty great blog posts to run while I’m away (Unsung Heroes posts, reviews, DIY skincare projects, makeup looks and more); I’ve been working on it quietly for a few weeks. Of course, they have the Internet on Kauai…but I don’t plan to be using it as much as I usually do. Some though (definitely lots of pics).

I hope whatever you have planned this weekend includes a little time for fun.

And speaking of fun, you know how we do it. It’s Saturday, which means it’s giveaway time, y’all! Just for fun.

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

“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. 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

“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, when was the last time you went hiking? What’s your favorite sunscreen? Have you ever cut your own hair? Do you ever mix/make your own skincare or beauty products? What’s your favorite long-wearing makeup? What’s your favorite organic beauty brand? — 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/I0r7Fg

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 22, 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 Jill! Congratulations, Jill! 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 Amy! Congratulations, Amy! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Tabs is such a creature of habit, and if something forces him to break one of his regular patterns, he gets very fussy. Every morning, as long as I’m awake before dawn, he requires at least 5 minutes of lap-time lurvies to set the tone for the day, and if I’m busy, incoherent, or just not paying close enough attention to my petting, he’ll grumble, mumble and nibble at my elbows and hands as if to say, “You’re doing a terrible job.”

He also does this thing I call “the circuit,” which he does throughout the day, where he sprints down the hallway (slipping and sliding, because the floor is tiled), through the dining room, the kitchen and then to the living room and back to the hallway almost to where he started. And he always runs in the exact same direction every time, counter clockwise.

At Nordstrom the other day, I realized that I do a circuit, too. With makeup counters. And I’ve been running pretty much the same route for, oh, eight years!

It always starts at MAC, and then I sprint to Chanel and Laura Mercier, and then around the perimeter of the department to Clarins, Clinique, Shiseido, YSL, Dior, Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Trish McEvoy, before finishing at Lancôme (sometimes out of breath!).

I also do a circuit at Sephora, where I start on the right side of the store and work my way around counter-clockwise (it just feels right).

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

“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. 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

“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 have a circuit/pattern you follow when you visit the beauty department? What was the first counter you ever visited? What’s on your current beauty lemming list? Have you ever worked at a makeup counter? Do you have allergies (because I do)? What’s your favorite eye primer? — 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/IFdvza

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 15, 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 Amy! Congratulations, Amy! 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 Katrina! Congratulations, Katrina! 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 really hoping to go to brunch this morning because I’m craving banana pancakes like crazy!

Mmm, pancakes…

Happy Easter weekend! 🙂 You know what I don’t understand? Oatmeal at brunch. Maybe it’s because I have oatmeal for breakfast every other day during the week (I call it gruel). But I figure, if I’m going out to breakfast or brunch, I like to have something a little special, ya know?

Don’t get me wrong — I love oatmeal, but I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say, “We should totally go to this place I heard about for brunch because they have AMAZING oatmeal.”

LOL!

Another of my favorite breakfast/brunch foods: hash browns. I’ve yet to perfect the art of making hash brown at home. Mine are usually overdone.

As much as I love breakfast, I’m not the greatest breakfast cook. I think it takes my brain a lot longer to wake up than it takes my tummy.

What folks are saying…

“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 and Tabs. Wow! Thanks so much for this! It’s hard to believe I actually won something. I can’t wait to shop my little heart out! Thanks again. Love to Tabs! And I love your blog with the Tabs stories. ;+)”
-Sophie, St Petersburg, FL

“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. 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

“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, when was the last time you went out to breakfast/brunch? Do you apply your makeup before or after breakfast? Are you reading any good books? Are your brows filled in right now? What are you up to this weekend (happy Easter!)? — 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/HoAEFX

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 8, 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 Katrina! Congratulations, Katrina! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂