The perfect red lipstick

Feeling inpired by a few magazines, a few friends and a few blog friends - I set out on a quest to find a red lipstick. I'm pretty sure the girls in the Nordstrom's cosmetics department are sick of seeing me. To be honest, as nice and helpful as they are, I hope I don't see them for awhile either.

I started searching for the perfect red about two weeks ago. I just wanted a fun red that could be casual and not look scary or trashy. I've seen plenty of examples of great red lipstick. Just look at Naomi's blog - she is often rocking a red lip. Emily totally found the perfect red. And Joanna keeps blogging about red lipstick.

I'll spare you the details but the last two weeks have involved several trips to Nordstrom's, Sephora, and Long's drugs. Here are some of the ones I tried:

Lady Bug, Ruby Woo and Lady Dager (Mac)
Cruella, Rouge d’Enfer, Fire Down Below and Spanish Red (Nars)
Red, Burnt Red, and Slopes (Bobbi Brown)
British Red and True Red (L'Oreal)
Red-y to Wear (Clinique)

They were all certainly red but either too bright, too orange-y,or too purple-y for my skin tone and my liking.

I'm not the most patient person and I was ready to call it quits last night when the super-patient girl at the Nars counter (I love Nars, p.s.) pulled out a color that wasn't with the testers: Forbidden Red. The heavens opens, choirs of angels sang, and I finally went home with my perfect red. Whew! I also picked up a Clinique lipliner in Chili that I love.

Mission accomplished.

I love my new lipstick.



1st image and 2nd image

Notes Left Behind

I found this in The Daily Mail and was incredibly touched by this little girl's story.

When Elena was only 5 years old she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. During the 9 months that she fought the cancer she hid notes, hundreds of them, throught her parents home in Wyoming. She left them in cupboards, between the pages of books, in drawers, bags ... everywhere.

Elena passed away in the summer of 2007, but her parents and her little sister Gracie have been finding the notes she left for them ever since. They currently have 3 large boxes full of them. She even left love notes for her favorite dog, Sally.

Some of the notes simply say, "I love you" and some have pictures. Many of the notes are for her little sister, Gracie, one of them reads, "I love you Gracie, Go Go."

Her parents said that they don't ever want to find the last note and so they each carry one unopened note from Elena in their briefcases.



I couldn't read this story all the way through without my eyes filling with tears. Maybe because my own little sister is named Elena. Maybe just because no 5 year old (or anyone) should have to die from cancer.

Her parents have compiled a book, Notes Left Behind which is available at Amazon and all of the proceeds are going to the Cure Starts Now Cancer Foundation.



You can read more about Elena and her family at Notes Left Behind



all photos credited to Keith & Brooke Desserich

Dear Future Husband

Dear Future Husband (in case you're reading this),

I just thought I should let you know in advance that I really, really hate making beds. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal but it is to me. But I really, really love clean sheets. So, the chances are you will hear me complaining about making beds a lot. I'm sorry. I hope can forgive me in advance and that we'll still be friends.

Also I hope you love Polaroids, because I really, really do. Oh, and macarons. I love macarons too.

Love,


Your future wife

photo credit

{Pola}roid Week Faves

I wanted to show you my faves from this week's {Pola}roid week but there are just too many. So here are a few and I'll post some more later.

I really, really love this first one. Cupcakes + Polaroids = LOVE


Rebecca Pepperell


Tony Soko


Keksofant


Polaroid Mandy


Erin


Lilie Melo


P.J. Taylor


Instant Satisfaction


Mironabside

Okay, so maybe that was more than a few.

do you ever feel this way?

Didi: Stu, what are you doing?

Stu: Making chocolate pudding.

Didi: It’s four o’clock in the morning! Why on earth are you making chocolate pudding?

Stu: Because I’ve lost control of my life.

The last few days have been stressful and a little silly. But I haven't reached the making-chocolate-pudding-at-4am stage.

TGIF!

shake it like a polaroid picture

Ghostly witches taken at Gardner Village in Utah


Sunny evening in Los Olivos


Palm tree starburst in Santa Barbara