Virginia Beach Shopalooza….

One of the primary activities of my girls week in Virginia Beach was shopping (the others being sleeping, facebooking, talking and eating brownies).  We found some amazing, amazing deals, so I thought I would show off a few.

This is an outfit I put together for church yesterday.  The skirt (Banana Republic Outlet), shoes (Kenneth Cole) and tights were mine already.  The t-shirt and jacket were new purchases on this trip.  The jacket came from Ann Taylor Loft and was originally priced $89.50.  It was on the clearance rack for $49.99 and the store was having a “take an additional 50% off clearance prices” sale.  So, that ended up costing $25 (a 72% savings off the original price).  The t-shirt came from JC Penney, a store I don’t normally frequent.  But, it is very cute and comfortable.  All that bling at the top is made up of little, silver, plastic circles sewn on.  I have no idea how this will wash (I will turn it inside out and wash it on the gentle cycle), but at $5.17, I couldn’t resist.  The original price of this shirt was $26, still not bad, so my savings was 80%. 

Today, I put on this outfit to venture out into the snowy world and have a consultation with an oral surgeon.  Not too happy about having to do that, but at least I was comfortable and liked what I was wearing.  The only thing new in this outfit is the sweater.  I bought it at Macy’s.  Original price was $48 and I paid $11.52 for a savings of 76%.  I paired this with some dark jeans, brown high-heeled boots, a brown t-shirt and some turquoise jewelry.  I apologize for the picture quality – this is what you get when you try to take a picture of yourself in the mirror in the hallway!  But, you get the idea, right?

Stay tuned for more outfits from the Virginia Beach Shopalooza.

The. BEST. Mascara. Ever.

I learned a lot of things last week while spending the week in Virginia Beach with my girlfriends.  One of the most dramatic involved a wonderful new mascara - Double Extend from L’Oreal. 

Apparently this mascara uses “beauty tube technology” to lengthen your lashes and advertises “salon like lash extensions”.  I don’t know exactly how it works, but it certainly does.  Here are some photos to demonstrate my results.  (Please ignore the fact that I need to pluck my brow.  Please do look closely in the reflection in my eyeball to see the ocean – that was the view from our 16th floor penthouse suite in Virginia Beach!)

A picture of my eye without anything on my lashes:

Now, here is a picture of the first step – a white under coat that nourishes and protects your lashes that creates the “perfect base for the tube application.”

The final step is to apply the mascara that wraps around the white undercoat and forms the tube.

Isn’t that amazing!?!?  And, the best part is that this mascara will never run.  You can cry your eyes out (and I did) and you won’t see a single speck out of place.  Once your lashes have been soaked in warm water (i.e. washing your face or in the shower), you can gently slide the tubes off of your lashes and let them go down the drain.  That was scary to me the first time I removed them – I thought my actual lashes were falling out, but of course, that wasn’t the case.  Now, I think it is kind of fun.

A HUGE thanks goes out to Allison, the beauty genius, who recommended this mascara miracle to my friend Lori. 

And, if you want to download a $2 off coupon for this mascara, visit the L’Oreal website to establish an account and then download and print off coupons. (Salley, Lori, Lisa and Jenny, I have already sent you each a coupon via email.)

http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#/?page=top{userdata//d+d//|diagnostic|main:subcategory:cosmetics_eyes|media:_blank|nav|overlay:_blank}

We purchased ours this weekend at Target for $8.99 each.  Just now, I looked at the Target website and I see that they have a double pack available online only for $9.99!  If it is possible to combine the coupon (and I don’t know that it is), then that would be a super, super deal.

It was the best of weeks, it was the worst of weeks…

I spent the past week in Virginia Beach with some of my dearest and closest girlfriends.  We have been friends for almost 13 years.  And while we have tried to get together for reunions at least annually, the military has done a pretty good job of keeping us geographically apart.  This week, we put distance aside and all six of us met in Virginia Beach.  Unfortunately, a heart-wrenching tragedy was the catalyst that instigated this trip.  One of our number lost her beautiful baby boy, John Matthew Ennis, on November 29, 2009.  The rest of us felt this loss very keenly and wanted to at least try to comfort each other with our presence. 

This week, we cried every day.  But, we also laughed every day.  We stayed up late talking.  We went shopping.  We slept as late as we wanted to.  We renewed our friendships and loved each other. 

The loss isn’t any easier to bear, but I think this week ministered to all of us.  I hope that we were able to provide some comfort to Lori.  I know the sorrow we feel is just a mere drop in the bucket in comparison to the depths of her oceanic grief. 

The post she wrote about the week is more beautiful than anything I could ever write and I encourage you to read it here:

http://loridoesmd.blogspot.com/2010/02/much-loved.html

Matthew, your Pensacola aunties love you and miss you.  We look forward to meeting you someday in heaven and until then, we will do the best we can to look after your mom.

I wish it were spring…

Two weeks ago, I was out doing some retail therapy (wrote a post about it, but I can’t finish it because I can’t find my camera – so frustrating!) and I saw these.

Honestly, how could anyone feel blue with these sunny little numbers on her feet?

Those are going on my wish list – along with this beautiful dress from J Crew:

Hurry up spring!

If I had a million dollars….

In the immortal words of the Barenaked Ladies….I would buy myself a the cutest dress I have ever seen.  I saw it in the pages of Harper’s Bazaar.  It is by designer Jason Wu (of Michelle Obama inaugural dress fame); therefore, I cannot now nor ever conceivably afford to purchase it.  But, I scanned it a picture so I could share it here and we could all drool.

Confessions of a bookworm…

In 2006, the first year I really and truly kept track of what I was reading, I read 38 books.  I knew I could do better, so for 2007, I pushed the total to 46.  In 2008, my goal was to read 50 books (a little less than one a week) and I did it by reading 51.  In 2009, I set an ambitious goal of 55 books, but I am sorry to report that I fell far short. I have 51 books in my book journal, but I know that some of them were unfinished.  Here is the list of what I read in 2009:

1.) Hood by Stephen Lawhead

2.) Good to Great by Jim Collins

3.) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (one of my favorite authors and I want to work my way through his oevre)

4.) The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

5.) The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay (on my Top 50 Books of All Time list)

6.) Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke (This is one I haven’t finished….yet)

7.) Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

8.) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

9.) My Enemy’s Cradle by Sara Young

10.) The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker

11.) The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

12.) Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

13.) Empire of the Ants by Bernard Werber

14.) March by Geraldine Brooks (an excellent read and a Pulitzer Prize winner)

15.) Horseplay by Judy Reene Singer

16.) The Last Days of Dogtown by Anna Diamant

17.) Drood by Dan Simmons

18.) Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott

19.) The White by Deborah Larsen

20.) Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

21.) Stormy: Misty’s Foal by Marguerite Henry (disclaimer: a child’s book, but a lovely one)

22.) The Adrian Mole Diaries by Sue Townsend

23.) Thief of Souls by Ann Benson

24.) The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller

25.) The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

26.) Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton

27.) Watership Down by Richard Adams (this used to be on my Top 50 of All Time Book list, but this time through, I didn’t love it as much.  Isn’t it funny how our tastes change at different points in our life?)

28.) Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

29.) The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

30.) Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

31.) The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

32.) Sea Glass by Anita Shreve

33.) The Highwayman & Mr. Dickens by William J. Palmer

34.) The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson

35.) Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

36.) Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore

37.) An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

38.) Courtesan by Diane Haeger

39.) The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer

40.) The Hounds and the Fury by Rita Mae Brown

41.) Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

42.) The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner

43.) Paris in the Twentieth Centrury by Jules Verne

44.) Maneater by Gigi Levangie Granger

45.) The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans

46.) Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol

47.) Neuromancer by William Gibson

48.) Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig (LOVED IT!)

49.) Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

50.) Eragon by Christopher Paolini

51.) The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

So, as you can see, I have a pretty eclectic taste in reading.  I enjoy switching from more challenging or meaty reads to frivolous “beach” reading.  I want to include a Pulitzer prize winner and a Charles Dickens each year.  All in all, I didn’t do too badly, but better luck in 2010!

Better to give….

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season.  I know I did!  Having my family here for a Kansas Christmas was better than I even expected.  I am so glad that the uncooperative weather didn’t keep them away. 

While I know that giving and receiving presents should not really be the focus of Christmas (there are more spiritual and altruistic things upon which to focus) – it sure is fun and I love it.  I love picking things out for people I love and imagining them opening a package and being thrilled with its contents. 

When my sister and I were little, we would sometimes do a little something we called the twelve days of Christmas.  On the twelve days leading up to Christmas, we would give each other a little gift we had made.  One year, I remember my mom bought us each a tiny little Christmas tree for our room.  So, that year, she and I made little ornaments for each other and gave them during the twelve days of Christmas.  By Christmas, we had a nicely decorated little tree.  It was really fun.

This year, I did a grown up twelve days with her.  I gave her twelve gifts – each having to do with the corresponding number.  Some of them were a stretch:

1) An Infinity Scarf from the Limited in Teal (this was on her Christmas list)

2.) A pair of sea glass earrings I purchased during a business trip to Cuba in the fall

3.) Three silver chains of differing lengths

4.) Four matching makeup (0r whatever) bags that all fit inside each other

5.) A set of five little rice bowls, grey with white flowers on them, that I purchased during a business trip to Japan in the fall

6.) A makeup set with 3 pots of shimmery eyeshadow and three application brushes

7.) A set of purple earrings that had seven dangling stones each

8.)  Eight bracelets in different shades of cream and gold, made from tiny beads

9.) A pair of black ballet flats – size 9

10.) A set of 10 notecards with a very cute picture of an Italian Greyhound on the front

11.) A bag of marzipan fruit candy (our favorite) – and can you believe?  There were exactly 11 pieces inside!

12.) A purple Banana Republic wallet to replace the white one I got her last year (12 credit card slots inside!)

I think she was really excited and it was so fun to watch her open all twelve gifts.  My dad said, “Is anyone else going to open any presents?” 

So, the old saying is that it is better to give than to receive.   But, I don’t know about that.  Take a look at some of my loot:

My mom and dad bought me this GORGEOUS lamp to put in my home office.  I would take a picture of it in action, but I am embarrassed at the disreputable state my office is in at the moment.  So, you just get the stock photo:

I do feel terrible about how much they spent on this lamp, but it is breathtaking and is truly the most beautiful horse lamp ever made.

Equally lovely is the pair of pumps my sister got me.  Again, I would take a picture of the actual shoes, but I can’t quite stand up in them yet!  I need to practice. 

Aren’t they to die for?  So gorgeous.

And, my sweet husband bought me a Big Buddha handbag I had been wanting.  Have you heard of this brand yet?  They are great.  They are pretty inexpensive (as far as handbags go), but they look really high end.  I always get compliments whenever I carry one.  And, so far, every time I have used this new bag since Christmas, someone has stopped me to tell me how pretty it is or to ask where I got it.  It is just like the picture below, except in a deep purple.  Apparently that color was hard to find.  My husband bought the last one in our local Dillard’s and my mom and sister admitted that they had tried to get it for me at their own Dillards, but were told it never came in purple!

He also gave me this lovely grey/silver velvet blazer from Ann Taylor.  He picked this out all on his own as a surprise and it fits like a tailor made it especially for me.

I am definitely a lucky girl!

Last day of the Christmas tour….

Today, we will finish the tour of the Christmas decorations in my home. 

One of my absolute favorite decorations is my nativity.  It is made by Lladro and was collected piece by painstaking piece over many years.  My husband and parents were very happy during those years because they always knew what to get me for Christmas.  Isn’t it breathtaking?

Can you believe that this is in my kitchen?  But, the computer desk top is the perfect display space for it and in this house, the only room for it was in the eating area of the kitchen.

In front of the computer desk is the kitchen table.  Here is a picture of the table top.

I had a bright idea to put wreaths on the back of the kitchen chairs.  They are cute, but the dollar store only had three.  I bought them thinking I could find another later, but so far, I haven’t.  So, it looks a little funny….

This is what is on top of our fridge:

This is on one of the kitchen walls.

This is my favorite new Christmas decor.  I am going to have a really hard time taking this down afer the holidays – I might just leave it up for awhile.  It is hanging in the entryway over a coat rack.  This picture definitely does not do it justice – it is absolutely stunning.  It is handpainted by the very, very talented Jennifer Macneill Traylor from Gypsy Mare Studios.  For a delightful read, beautiful photographs and to see what gorgeous work she is creating, please visit her blog The Mare’s Tales. 

Couldn’t that be me, dressed all in my favorite color, being pulled along by my beautiful black Dancer?    Well, probably  not really, unless I wanted to take my life into my hands.  I am not sure she would love dragging something behind her. 

And, speaking of Dancer, you didn’t think I would forget her, did you?  This is the wreath on her stall, complete with horseshoe ribbon.

Ok, sorry for the detour.  Now to finish the rest of my house – this is down the hallway.  Since we do not have a fireplace or a hearth (what is it with not having fireplaces whenever we live anywhere cold where we could use them?  We had one in Montgomery, Alabama and Charleston, South Carolina, but not in North Dakota, Germany or Kansas. Sigh.) Anyway, this is where we hang our stockings.

Also in this hallway, I hung two yard sale picture frames that I converted to chalkboards.  On them, I put quotations from one of my favorite Christmas songs.  I wish my handwriting were better…

At the end of the hall is our bedroom, where I hung sparkly little reindeer from the dollar store over our bed.

To conclude the tour, let’s slip outside for a moment…  (Don’t you just love how on the night I go out to take the picture, the lights go out on one of the stars?)

I’ll leave you for today with a close-up of the swag I made (yes, made) using lots of ideas and suggestions from the blog world.  And, again, due to our lack of fireplace and mantle, my creative endeavor had to go outside.  But, more people see it this way, I guess. 

Christmas in the dining room….

As promised, the Christmas tour of my house continues in the dining room today.  In this house, the dining and living room are actually all one.  But, there is a lot of Christmas to see, so I decided to break it up into two posts.  Want to see the rest of the living room decorations?  Check out yesterday’s post.

This is the dining room table.  It has a gold colored table cloth left over from Thanksgiving.  On top of that are two lovely evergreen tree lace table toppers I got at the famous Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store in Rothenburg Germany.  (Tired of hearing about Germany?)  The reindeer candle holders are new for this year.  I got them at Hobby Lobby last week at half price!  They were the last two….I am telling you ladies, this year, if you wait until the day after Christmas, there isn’t going to be anything left in the stores!  I love them.  I filled them with jingle bells from the dollar store.  Around them, I grouped a little crystal bowl filled with small ornaments and a floral pick from the dollar store and two larger ornaments on crystal candlestick holders.  I haven’t ever done this before, but I think I really like how it turned out.  What do you think?

This is the buffet….

This is a close up (albeit a blurry one) of the gorgeous ornament on the first shelf:

Here is the china cabinet.  I have a collection of green glass in there year-round, but toss in a few sprigs of red berries and it looks very Christmas-y.  I also added some sparkly gold ornaments from the dollar store and a few Christmas decorations I had and ta-da!

Tomorrow, I will show you the kitchen and some other miscellaneous things (including my most favorite new Christmas decoration).

Christmas time is here….

Since you haven’t heard from me in over three months, I thought I might ease my way back into your good graces with a Christmas post.  I have always, always loved Christmas.  I get totally wrapped up in the fun and excitement of the season.  When we lived in Germany, I was in heaven – those Germans really know how to elevate the holiday season to a whole new level – Christmas markets – hot spiced wine – beautiful and unusual decorations.  I really have to exercise self control not to start decorating the house or listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.  My husband, on the other hand, is the opposite.  I think every year he says “we don’t really need to have a Christmas tree this year, right?”  What?!?  I never really know if he means it or not, but needless to say, this is our 13th Christmas tree.    I am not even sure why he complains, since the output he expends in decorating for Christmas is very, very minimal. 

No matter – I am up to the task.  And, this year, despite our house being one of the smallest since our very first apartment, I have really gone overboard with the decorating.  I just can’t seem to stop.  Seriously, I think I have added something to the decorations every day since Thanksgiving!  And, the shopping – my goodness!  Seems like everyone is having sales this year before Christmas and I have been taking full advantage.  So, come on in, look around and soak up some holiday cheer.

This is the view coming in the front door.  Don’t you just love that beautiful golden deer?  I attended a Holiday Table Display at the Wichita Arts Center back in November and I saw this deer decorating one of the tables.  I had to have him! 

Here is a shot of the tree.  Sort of blurry, but you get the idea. It is very traditional and filled with a variety of ornaments we have collected along the way.

And, here is one of our favorite ornaments.  It is a glass santa made in Poland.  We bought it at a Christmas Market booth in Strasburg, France.  The picture doesn’t even do it justice.  The detail is amazing.

And, speaking of Santas, here is my Russian Santa collection. 

The German Christmas village:

And, the German Christmas Market display:

And, here are two close-ups:

This is the pyramid from Germany:

Here is the picture hanging above it – a depiction of the Strasburg Christmas Market.  I love this picture – sorry about the glare from the flash, but it was too dark to do without it.

I have two poinsettias in a basket on the table beside the couch.  They were left over from the Thanksgiving decorations.

That’s the living room.  Tomorrow – the tour continues in the dining room.