The Life of A Ladybug

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Beloved Readers, you are important to me.  It is because of you that this little hobby of mine, this blog, has flourished and become successful.  I love having the chance to share information with you, test new products so that I can help you decide what will work best for you, and discussing all things beauty.

Today, I know that we tend to focus on our love for others and that's wonderful.  But, I charge you to take a few moments to show love for yourself.  If it's something as simple as taking a hot bath with salts or bubbles - that can be great.  Line the tub with candles, roll a towel up behind your head and relax.  Use some baby oil to lovingly massage your arms and legs.  Give your hair a deep conditioning treatment.  Burn lavendar essential oil to make you feel calm and relaxed.  Give yourself an at-home facial.  Any of these ideas are inexpensive, but will make you feel pampered.  Take care of yourself today!

I love you - now go love on yourself!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, all my beauties!!!

This year has had its shares of ups and downs, as each year does.  But this year I've gone from some of my highest highs to some of my lowest lows.  Still, God is good.  The year is almost over and I'm still here.  I'm still standing.  My husband is still the love of my life and we've made it through another year together.  My daughter is beautiful, intelligent, and loving.  We have a home that is filled with love.  This year I've reached another level as a dancer and in the next, I plan to take that journey even further.  I've refined my techniques as a make-up artist and continue to love the beauty business.  This blog has flourished and I've been fortunate to make contacts with several make-up/skincare/beauty lines.  Like I said, God is good.

This year, I've learned how to appreciate all that I have and strive hard to get those things that I want.  I look forward to 2008 - I look for a fresh start and bigger, better opportunities.  Here's to a coming year filled with life, love, laughter and thank God the end of this administration!

Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays to you and yours.  Smooches!!!

Casual clothes on Christmas Eve

Last night's skincare:

• Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser
• Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
• Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Treatment
• Bobbi Brown Overnight Eye Cream
• Avon Anew Ultimate Age Repair Night Cream

This morning's skincare:

• Cetaphil Daily Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
• Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Liquid
• Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Treatment
• Olay Eye Firming Serum
• Garnier Nutrioniste Daily Renewal Serum

Today's make-up:

• Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit in Golden
• Jane Iredale PurePressed Base in Butternut, applied with the bareEscentuals Handy Buki brush
• Bourjois Metallic Eyeliner in Brun inoxydable
• Rimmel Lash Maxx mascara in Extreme Black - two coats on top lashes
• Flirt Peek-A-Blush Sheer Powder Cheek Color in Sweet Surrender
• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz, used as highlighter on my cheekbones
• Sugar Lip Balm
• mark. glow baby glow in pink crush

Today's fragrance:

Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit

Today's outfit:

• pink ringer t-shirt with red edging that says "Life's a Hoot-er: 60 Miles to A Cure".  I bought it to sponsor a friend's team - they walked for breast cancer research.  Yay, Juliet!
• black yoga pants with silver buckle waist detail from New York & Company
• black and white Pumas with elastic buckle
• wedding set
• silver and pink quartz ring
• black leather slouchy tote from Nine West

Sing it!

I LOVE this time of year and one of my favorite things to do is watch all the Christmas cartoons.  Rankin-Bass rule as the Kings of Christmas Cartoons, certainly, and one of my favorites is "The Year Without A Santa Claus."  Why, you ask?  Because of the Meiser brothers - Snow Meiser and his flamier, funnier brother, Heat Meiser.  They both do a little song and dance to introduce themselves, but Heat Meiser's has so much more pep. 

"He's Mr. Green Christmas, he's Mr. Sun (SING IT!)

He's Mr. Heat Blister, he's Mr. Hundred and One

They call me Heat Meiser, whatever I touch

Starts to melt in my clutch

I'm too much ... TOO MUCH!"

Thanksgiving

At this time of year, we're supposed to take time out and count our blessings.  We're supposed to be grateful for our families and friends, for our health and strength.  And yet, sometimes, we take it for granted, amidst the rush of holiday shopping and commercialization at every turn.  Well, I'm not one of those people this year.

As you know, in the last few weeks, my family has been hit with some hard times.  Just last week, we learned that my husband's grandmother passed away, unexpectedly.  She had been recovering from a recent surgery and, by all accounts, was doing well and then ... she just died.  It was a shock.  She lived a long life (she was 83) and had been married for 63 years.  She had children and grandchildren who loved her.  Vic had gotten to see her shortly before her passing.  So, he has peace with it.  But in the last two years, he has buried both his father and his grandmother - two of the most important people to him in the world.

So, this holiday season, I will have fun buying presents and wrapping them for my loved ones.  I wlll love any presents I receive.  I will sing carols and bake cookies.  I will watch the Christmas cartoons.  But when I say "I love you" or "I am thankful" this year, they will not be empty words, platitudes offered just in the spirit of the season.  These words are heartfelt.  I love my family.  I love my friends.  I love y'all, actually.  You, my readers, make it possible for me to do this - I could write a blog just for myself, but it would mean nothing.  It would just be self-indulgence.  Knowing that people read my words somehow make them important and force me to be responsible for what I write.  So, thank you.  I am grateful for you.  I am grateful that you would take the time to read my thoughts and to grace my blog with your presence.  Thank you for your comments, for your prayers, for your thoughts.

Call your family members and friends today and tell them you love them.  And mean it.

MAC Halloween Looks

If you're looking to glam up your Halloween celebration and you need some inspiration, cruise on over to MAC.  The Halloween looks are up and they give you plenty to choose from - from the macabre all the way to the pretty, pretty butterfly on the left.  Let your imagination go wild!  If you decide to do any of them, send me a pic.  I would love to post the results!

Leaving for vacation ...

I will be leaving before dawn tomorrow for a weeklong vacation (check out Tiny Toya - she's ready for the beach!).  My family and I will be traveling to South Carolina and then I'll be headed to Hollywood with The NDC to rak the IAMED stage!

See ya when I get back!  Love you all!

Happy fourth birthday, Sarai!

I know that today is the day that we celebrate Sarai, but I can't help but feel a little deserving of celebration myself - LOL!  I did push her out, after all.

This morning, she snuck into my bed while I was in the bathroom.  When I came out, all I saw was Vic (snoring, as usual) and a lump under the covers.  A giggly, squirmy lump.  I pulled back the covers and she was under there, with her eyes squeezed shut, grinning so hard that I could count each of her teeth.  I kissed her and rubbed her tummy and she giggled and hugged me.  I said "Happy birthday, Mumma!" and she said, "I'm this many now!" and held up four fingers.  Vic woke up and told her happy birthday and they hugged and cuddled.  I dressed and off we went to my mom's, singing the birthday song - she chimed in with "I'm 4 years old now!"

Every year, around her birthday, I tell her the story of her birth.  We did that last night, as we cuddled on the couch.  I love holding her and telling her that story, over and over - the story of when we first met.  It was love at first sight.

Happy birthday, dear Sarai!  May you grow in beauty, strength, and love.

(Picture from Halloween 2006 - she was a baby bellydancer!)

It's our anniversary ... anniversary!!!

"Today is a special day.  Not just any day.  And you can have everything you want your way."

Today, it has been five years since Mr. McBoobin and I have been married.  And, might I say, he's even hotter today than he was that day, five years ago (as am I).  I am in love with him every second of every day (though he gets on my nerves more than anyone in the universe).  He's a cool dude - easy on the eyes, friendly to my girls (but not too friendly), supportive and encouraging, good in all the ways that count (let me count the ways)!  I am blessed to be his wife, his partner, the mother of his child, and his friend.  And I look forward to fifty more of the most fun years of my life.

Today - Elise's graduation party!

Tonight was my cousin Elise's graduation party.  She just graduated from high school - a year early!  That's a really remarkable accomplishment, especially given that Elise has battled many a health problem over her short life.  I'm very, very proud of her.  She and I don't spend as much time together as I'd like.  So, as her present, I have agreed to give her a makeover, then spend the day doing whatever she wants.  I met two of her best friends today and she may want to bring them along on our day, too, which is fine.  They're really nice girls. 

The house was full of family and friends.  I love family get-togethers - being surrounded by the love of the people who've known you all your life is so important to having good self-esteem and self-love.

Last night's skincare:

• Dove Cleansing Cloth
• Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
• Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
• Garnier Nutrioniste Daily Skin Renewal Serum
• Walgreen's Eye Cream

Today's skincare:

• Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
• i.d. BareMinerals Skin Rever-Upper
• Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel
• Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15

Today's make-up:

• MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer Palette in Dark
• MAC Blot Powder in Dark
• Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil in Bangalore
• BADGal Lash
• Sugar Tropic Tan Bronzer/Blush Duo
• Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm
• Tarte Sungloss in Gidget and Moondoggie

Today's fragrance:

Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit

Today's hair:

Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercream rubbed around the edges of my hair and brushed until my hairline was smooth.  Brushed my hair into a high puff and secured with a stretchy elastic.  Spritzed my puff with water/lavendar oil/pomegranate seed oil mixture and fluffed with my fingers.  Rubbed in Carol's Daughter Hair Milk.

Today's ensemble:

• celadon v-neck top with ruching in the front from Torrid
• brown rib-knit racerback tank from Old Navy
• trouser jeans from GAP
• gold circle earrings (I think I bought them from New York & Company)
• gold bangles from The Limited
• bronze strappy wedges from Aerosoles
• gold Guess purse I bought on last year's cruise