This Post Dedicated To My... Nephew

Rather than bore you with the details of my extended absence from the ol' blog {about how I am researching and working out some new life plans that include changing  my career that I have been deeply entrenched in for the last 17 years to one I have always wanted to be in since I was a little girl},  I thought I would just tell you what's on my mind today.

{I know my nephews will love this post! Haha!}  

So I thought I'd talk more about my...

EYES!

{This is the part where they start rolling their eyes at me!}

1.  I've decided.  Earthy, dark colors are soo not me!   I played around with some old eyeshadows I had still laying around and realized the darker browns and smoky colors just make me look old and tired.  Those are the colors I used to always wear.  Along with my black clothes.  No wonder I didn't look or feel like my vibrant self!  The shades and tones of the colors make such a huge difference!

Now put on some brighter peaches, pinks and creams and my eyes pop and I look fresh and alive again!  Now that's something!  I'd rather look alive than dead and on my way out, if you know what I mean!  LOL!  Now to get really daring and try some fun light greens and blues like these from Emily, the  DYT stylist, that she used today!

Isn't she gorgeous???   And those eyes!!!   The shadows she used are fun, light and keep the brightness in her face and eyes!  That's what I want!


2.  I have no eyebrows.  I mean, I do, but they appear to go only halfway across my brow because the other half is very thin and light.  I'm considering playing around with eyebrow stencils just for fun.  Which Hollywood actress brows would I like?  Hmmm...

Part of me is so used to the way I look with only half eyebrows that I think it might take some serious getting used to if I decided to pencil in some faux brows!  LOL!  We shall see!


3.  I have droopy eyelids.  My eye doctor pointed that one out.  Sigh. Which means I think I need to figure out how to apply makeup looks for droopier eyes {and no eyebrows!}.

4.  And because this post is dedicated to my eyes {I mean, my nephew!}, I thought I would play around and create something fun  for you to "make-up" {pun intended!} for not blogging for so long!  Check it out:

Heehee!  Notice my Groucho Marx looking eyebrows at the end???  I think I need someone to tweeze, pluck and shape them now!  Or get those eyebrow stencils STAT!  LOL!

You're welcome Caleb!!! 

Mwah!

eyebrows via

eyes used with permission

Chameleon Eyes...Again!

Are you guys getting sick of me going on about my eyes yet?  Well, to me they are pretty important.  If I don't wear eye makeup people always ask if I am sick, sad or feeling ok.  In my younger days I could get away with less eye makeup  but now... I need eye makeup to help me look awake and alive apparently! 

So the other day I happened upon Almay's Intense I-Color which are palettes specifically for different colored eyes.  So I picked up the palette for hazel eyes.

The colors are different shades of grey.  Hmm.  Grey?  I wondered what that would do for my eyes so I thought I would at least try it out for fun and here is the result . . .

{drumroll please!}

The grey shades for hazel eyes make my eyes appear...GREY!    Hmm.  Not what I was hoping for.  It definitely didn't bring out my subtle shades of blues and greens.  Bummer.

Btw, that is an undoctored photo taken in natural daylight with my iPhone just like all my other eye pics have been ~ I still haven't figured out a macro lens to use yet.

So I guess if I want grey looking eyes I will use grey shadows.  The grey palette may work on other people's hazel eyes, but my chameleon~like eyes change to match the grey shadows apparently.  Now I wonder if I use the palettes for blue or green eyes if it will bring those colors out instead.  I think I may have to try that! 

~ ~ ~

Have you found any fun new products lately?

Oscar Night Fashions

Oscar night is always fun to watch celebrity fashions.  I always dream up a dress or two of what I would wear on the red carpet.  I love designing evening wear in my head!  This year I wondered if I were a classic movie star, who would I be?

Well, Kay of Movie Star Makeover, has a fun little quiz you can take to see which classic movie stars you are most like.  I turned out to be the Lively Girl Next Door and happily join the ranks of Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day and Betty Grable.

via Movie Star Makeover

Lively Girl Next Door
Like Debbie Reynolds, you are the Lively Girl-Next-Door. You are warm, friendly, full of joy and a little zany with a vibrant, unsinkable spirit—you’re the sunshine girl! People love to be around you because you have such a positive, upbeat attitude and it seems there’s nothing you can’t handle. You are the go-to girl when there’s a project, because you know how to get it done and still have enjoy yourself in the process. If you have children, they probably have the best parties in the neighborhood, because you have a great time right along with them. You’re strong, sturdy, earthy at times, fast on the draw, and seem inexhaustible. You can be very sentimental and love photos and family heirlooms. You may have a bit of a hot temper, but you usually wind up laughing at yourself in the end. Life’s too much fun to hold a grudge!

So...what would I wear?  Hmm...I don't know yet but I'm feeling like pink this year and I think I would base my wardrobe around this gorgeous replica of Ginger Roger's {she is after all amongst the Lively Girl Next Door club!} from The Hollywood Collection...

via The Hollywood Collection

I think it would be set off with a lovely blue drapey gown such as this with some fun yet exquisite detailing:

Oscar Night by byourself featuring wedding shoes

~ ~ ~

What would you wear?

Friday Favorites

Well it has been a busy week for me, so as a way of catching you up real quick I thought I would give you some of my favorites from this week. . .

1. 

~  Grapeseed oil ~ 

I have been wanting to try a few luxury face oils as a moisturizer when I had the brilliant idea to just try the Grapeseed oil I use with some of my essential oils on my face.  It's brilliant I tell you!  It is hands down the best moisturizer I have used and it isn't even expensive.  My face feels so soft, the dry patches are completely gone when I use it and best of all my skin looks more radiant! And don't worry, your face soaks in all the oils and doesn't leave you looking oily and greasy  I am in love! ! 

2.  

~ doTerra's Slim & Sassy ~ 

Last week I tried a few drops of this essential oil blend in a glass of water at a friends house and became hooked!  It smells divine!  It's a fruity~citrusy~minty smell that my daughter thinks smells like a minty skittle.  It sounds weird but it smells sooo good!  Best of all, the special blend of therapeutic grade essential oils helps boost your metabolism and also acts as an appetite suppressant.  Plus it makes drinking your water a special experience!  It tastes so good you will want to drink water all the time now!  {If you want some I can now hook you up btw!}

3.  

~ This fabulous cuff bracelet ~ 

It was about $16 at Target's jewelery counter {not just on the regular wall shelves you walk up to}.  I think it is so fresh and pretty!  I love the blues and greens in it!

~ ~ ~

What were some of your favorites this week?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Phew!  The sugar~fest known as Valentine's Day is over!
I ate more sugar than I care to admit yesterday!
But it turned out to be a fabulous day!
Let's review:

Let's start with the ugly first:

This is why I usually let my husband bbq instead of me!
I was trying my hand at some Brazillian barbecue!
Don't worry, dinner was rescued and not completely ruined!

The bad:

I kept comparing myself to all the other amazing moms around me who were doing cute things.  I live near some pretty amazing {and adorable!} people! I kept eating fabulous treats our friends gave us!

The bad part is not that we have nice friends who love us, but that I couldn't stop myself from eating all that yumminess!!!  I mean, look at that fabulousness!!!  That's some pretty awesome {and tasty!} popcorn!

The good:

Fortunately, the good outweighed all the bad!

I pulled through at the last minute {I'm talking literally the last minute!} with a cute love bug theme for our dinner table using things I already had.  And since it was turning kind of picnic-y, I used paper plates so that cleanup was a breeze!

I also found and bought a new pair of jeans ~ in the next size down!  Yes!!!  Sweet!!!  Doing the happy weightloss dance!!!

And I wore some adorable pink boots a DYT friend gave me!

Most importantly, 

everyone seemed happy last night!  

That was the biggest win!

I love my family!

How was your Valentine's Day?

My eyes! My eyes!

I'm still trying to get a good picture of my eye.  Apparently I need a macro lens.  Do I have a macro lens?  I have no idea!  I do have a Canon something or other that I don't use very often because my iphone is just so much easier and more convenient to use most of the time! 

I am using What's It's Color to pull out and identify the colors in my eyes even with my poor photographs.  It's been fun!  Here are mostly my skin tones:

And a few trying to get

just my eye colors:

The fuzzy green eye pic:

I tried zooming in on one of my eyes from

the top picture but it was too small and pixelated.

But I thought it would be interesting to see

what colors it was pulling out still.

I think the second and third pictures are probably the most accurate so far.

I think it is interesting that the background colors of these pictures are changed to the dominant complimentary color.  So for my skin tones it is this:

For when my  eyes look greener, it is this:

And I'm not too sure I like the complimentary colors for the other eye pictures.  But its interesting that blues are complimentary to my skin tones and to my greener eyes because I have always liked wearing those colors and, like I said in my other post on my eyes,  I suspect my eyes stand out the most when I'm wearing blue-green colors.  This will definitely require some experimentation ~ the other suggested color palette combinations are interesting to think about too.

I may be going about this all in the wrong direction so I'm going to take Jeanine's advice and read the book Color Your Style: How to Wear Your True Colors by David Zyla who goes into this in a whole lot more detail.






Man, I am having way too much fun with this!  I'm going to keep trying to get a macro lens and get some better pictures of my eyes!

Oh Jeanine!  Look what you started!  LOL!  ;)

My New Boots

Back in December I mentioned I wanted some cute buttercup yellow boots. Well, I haven't quite found the right yellow boot of my dreams yet, but Target online has a bunch of fun rain boots to pick from.  Here are a few I pinned.

I know rain boots aren't your traditional snow boot, but you can find them in a lot more fun colors this way plus they still keep your feet dry.  You just have to wear warm wool socks to keep your feet warm.  But if you're running errands to and fro and only getting in and out of cars then they are a fun accessory to brighten a cold and dreary winter day!

Here are some rain boots I recently found 

at Walmart that are bright and cheery!

I feel so cute when I wear these
with my pink polka dot scarf!

{Having fun with some new photo editing software lately!  :D }

Rain or snow! 

Bring it on!  I'm ready to play!

~ ~ ~

Linking up to Visible Monday!

The Eyes Have It

We all know that certain colors look better on certain people.  I now know that black certainly doesn't compliment me, but on others it does.  Coloring has always fascinated me.  Recently my fashion friend, Jeanine at Seasonal Color Analysis ,  has been having a lot of fun exploring and refining colors in her wardrobe.  She linked to a fun way to personalize your color palette by examining your own coloring in a specific way that fascinated me.

She introduced me to the concept of Body Harmony Colors where you analyze your eyes, cheeks and gumline in natural daylight to see what colors they are, then combine them into a list of colors to wear that will compliment you.  It's a little more complicated than that, but you get the gist. {She links to Living Life As A True Summer where there is a little more how-to info if you're interested!}

My eyes in natural daylight

So I've been trying to get a good picture of my eyes to study.  Incidentally, while trying to get a good picture of my eye I was able to capture pictures of crazy things reflecting off my eyes, like the photographer with their camera {ahem!  That would be me!} or this one below where you could see a white car parked on the side of the road at preschool pickup.  Craziness!

See the car?

My eyes are what I've always called hazel but really they are chameleon eyes.  They change colors depending on lighting or what I'm wearing.  And when I was trying to get a good picture in various different light settings I got a range of different eye colors.

Honest!  This is still my eye!

Here they are looking a little more green.  Sometimes they look brownish or greyish.  I think my true eye color though is more like the very top picture.  My favorite eye color is when they turn blue green.  That's when I get the most compliments on my eyes.  I would love to figure out how to emphasize them to be this color more consistently.  I've never really paid attention to what I'm either wearing, or how I did my makeup on those days when they stand out like that.  But I think they tend to do that more when I'm wearing blues and greens. 

So these body harmony colors really intrigue me and have opened up so many questions for me.  If I take the colors of my eyes and wear them, will they stand out more?  But what color are my eyes really if they are always changing colors on me???  Oh no!  I feel like I'm about to head down a rabbit hole!  Lol!  And then I wonder, what would an iridologist have to say about my eyes? Haha!  Make that two rabbit holes! ~wink~wink~

Sorry about the quality on the closeups.  Not sure what to do about that to get a better picture except maybe a better camera?  Lol!  :D

My Current Favorite Accessory

Recently this gold and pearl necklace

has become my favorite accessory.

It's a long strand I like to double up

that I bought at Target last year.

So, nothing fancy but...

It goes with almost anything!

I love that!

~ ~ ~

Do you have a favorite go-to piece?

~ ~ ~

Linking up to Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday

Older and Wiser Now

Last March I posted an exercise I had done in 2004 about creating a perfect day in my life which is used to help you focus on what you really want.  In March I wrote that most of it still rang true but that I would probably update it now that I'm older and wiser, and the beginning of a new year seems like a good time to review it.  So here we go ~ my older and wiser version ~ with commentary this time.

Let me introduce you to ~B.  At first glance she may seem like a traditional sort of girl, but upon closer inspection, you will soon realize that she is quite unexpected with her jazzy sense of style.  Let’s take a peek into what a typical day is like for her. 

Unexpected and jazzy sense of style. I still like this! I like to think my new, emerging DYT T1 style is starting to bring this out more and more so that it doesn't seem to take you by surprise. I feel like my outsides are beginning to match the inside of me finally!

One thing you will notice immediately about her, is that she takes the time to indulge herself in the little luxuries of life.  The fresh cup of hot cocoa in the mornings before pulling on her wellies, fetched from a neat little row, as she heads out the door into the crisp morning air with her chocolate lab hot on her heels ready for a brisk walk along the river near the nature preserve.

  via

 

Little luxuries? Heck yeah! I'm all about mindfully chosen little indulgences! But that dog stuff~I'm really just not a dog person and I'm glad my family realizes that now! So that part is now out! I will still take that walk please, thank you very much!

On her way home, she can be spotted at her local neighborhood farmers market,  where they know her by name and set aside the best produce for her, knowing that she will soon be there.  Today she has collected some fresh eggs and veggies for a delightful omelet she will savor outside on her brick patio underneath the grape filled pergola.

This paragraph is my lovely little provincial dream! I love to eat as locally as I can and with the freshest produce possible! It was a huge focus for me back then and still is. I love supporting and knowing my own farmers. It just feels gooood and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! And I'm happy to say since originally writing it, that I do have my own grape filled pergola on a brick patio ~ this one has been a dream come true!

She relishes the change of the seasons as she sips a cup of fresh apricot nectar she made herself, listening to the many flocks of birds and geese honking overhead as they migrate along the major flyway she lives under.

via

Yep! The seasons are lovely here and I still love to hear those geese honking by. Oh and by the way, fresh apricot nectar is like summer in a glass! It is the nectar of the Gods! Just sayin'....

Her home sits on a green and leafy estate and is filled with a mix of traditional and quirky items that hint of a surprising swank little European hideaway.  It nods to her rich Danish, English and German heritage and love of history but has a very forward thinking approach as she contemplates her own legacy. 

This and the following home decorating paragraphs are still a work in progress but are a good reminder to me of my focus and what I like.

She has thrown open her large, tall leaded windows so that the breeze will gently blow the beautiful window treatments in a graceful manner as she contemplates what to read from her beautiful collection of classics, and charming old etiquette books. 

Her house is not cluttered with ambiguous items, but each thing is carefully chosen with an eye for aesthetics and function, as in the leather bound photo albums she has created with beautiful gold embossing their spines.  Because if there is one thing she understands keenly, is that the details make all the difference on the whole. 

Leather bound photo albums ~ check! Details definitely do make a difference and is something one must constantly be aware of. I need to refocus on this as I whip my house back into shape again!

Her closet is neatly organized and one gets the feeling of stepping into a chic little boutique.  It is filled with classic clothes with clean simple lines, yet the first impression can quite deceive you for while it is classic, it is never stuffy or boring.  Upon closer examination you will notice that each piece is set apart by exquisite and unexpected details that make them truly as unique as the girl who wears them. 

This paragraph is very interesting to me. It was written pre-DYT when I really wanted to be the perfect little Audrey Hepburn. But I'm not Audrey Hepburn and I think I knew that. I knew I wanted unexpected details. I think I wanted to bring the fun back into my wardrobe and life even back then. I am much happier with a jazzier, fun wardrobe.  I guess you could say I'm more like Muzzy Van Hossmere from Thoroughly Modern Millie ~ ha!  But not quite as crazy!  ~wink~wink~ 

The majority of her wardrobe is filled with casually elegant clothing that give off the air of being on holiday all the time.  It is what she considers “Park City Chic”, resort-like, casual and comfortable.  For this truly fits her active lifestyle as a mother.  She looks equally at home whether casually strolling the streets of Park City galleries, chasing children and dogs, or running to the local PTA meeting. 

I still like the idea of "Park City Chic" because it can be outdoorsy, casual and still look appropriately grown up. And who doesn't want to be on holiday all of the time???  Hello!  Sign me up!  I just need to translate this with a a lighter fun factor in mind. :D

She treasures her friends and family, and often you will find multiple people and impromptu festivities going on.  Tonight however, she will spend a quiet night with her family, helping her daughter with her homework after a lovely dinner of butternut squash soup, crisp salad and bread.  Later they will play quiet board games and  maybe take a peek into the telescope before the children head off to bed.

via

Oh yes! I love a good party with my close friends and family and I still love those quiet evenings with my family. But I don't really like board games ~ sorry! I tried to like them, but that part has to go! This part also reminds me that it has been way too long since we pulled out our telescope. Isn't there a meteor shower sometime soon? I hope I didn't miss it!

Once the house quiets down, ~B. settles into her cozy little nest of a bed with her sketchbook and sketches out the details of her new eveningwear collection.  And of course, she snuggles with her husband while sounds of Paolo Conte waft through the air.

Aaaahhhhh! I love to snuggle with my husband!  But that eveningwear collection has never materialized onto paper yet, but be assured, it is absolutely exquisite in my head!

~ ~ ~

This was good to reflect on.

All in all, this still shows what is important to me

and is still how I endeavor to live my life.

In lieu of resolutions, this is another method

you could use to map out what you want this year.

A Quick Christmas Recap

Well, the remodel still isn't done but we are on the home stretch.  The kids did get a small Christmas tree {finally} about a week before Christmas which promptly came down yesterday so we could finish painting in the room. 

Despite the remodeling mayhem, we had a lovely Christmas together.  I loved watching the kids open their presents and seeing the smiles on their faces!  We had to open presents in two parts though because church started at nine and the kids were still sleeping in at eight ~ we ended up having to wake them up!  {We are definitely not a family of morning people!  LOL!}

Just before heading out the door, my son gave me this fabulous red, sparkly present which required a quick change on my part because hello!  That is a totally fun red top!!!  How can you resist???

Earlier this month I had said I wanted something sparkly and this is it!  I may, or may not, have really stood out in the choir in this outfit though!  ~wink~wink~

Anyway!  

We had a lovely day being with family!  

I hope yours was just as wonderful! 

Leg Warmers

At this time of year, there is nothing cozier than a pair of nice warm tights. I absolutely adore them! But tights AND stockings together? Even cozier! And if done right, I think they look tres chic!

{via This Is Glamorous}

I am now on the hunt for the perfect combination for my own individual style! It's hard to find boots and tights that aren't of the black, grey or brown variety right now.  I just want something a little happier ~ I'm trying to lift my spirits out of the dull colors of the winter landscape, remember? 

In my mind I keep imagining the most dreamy pair of buttercup yellow boots.  I'm not sure what the rest of my outfit would look like, but those boots won't leave my mind!  ~dreamy sigh~  I wonder if it would be easier to find buttery yellow stockings instead?  I mean, the layered effect kind of mimics a boot effect and looks ever so cozy and fashionable!

How do you plan to keep your legs warm?

Seen any fun colors anywhere?

Baby It's Cold Outside!

This will be my first full fledged winter since learning to Dress My Truth and this year it will be a lot more colorful.  I never realized how much color impacted my moods before.  Every winter I have a tendency to get a little down because let's face it, it gets kinda dreary out there. I have vowed this year to wear more color and let it cheer me up!

Here are a few coats I have picked up for the season:

A cute blue trench coat with a little bit of brightness to it.  This year I have found some cute pink leather gloves and a fun polka dot scarf to wear with my different coats.

This is what I wore for storm cleanup the other day.  A basic chocolate brown coat with my pink garden work gloves.  Chocolate + pink is always a classic combination!

A fun light green trench coat with my new pink accessories!  This is the coat I am wearing in my new profile picture and header here on the blog. It is my favorite one of the bunch and I wear it almost daily whenever I go out!

The weather hasn't turned completely frigid yet {though the last two mornings have been in the teens so it is definitely on its way!}, and I still need to get a new coat for those really cold winter days.  I would love to get something fun like this:

 via pinterest

That looks pretty warm, cozy and bright, right?  I just need to find a super thin {and super warm} down coat.  I really don't like the puffy looking ones because they always make me feel kinda fat.

I also wouldn't mind finding a coat

that would go with this amazing scarf:

via Etsy

Yep!  Now wouldn't that scarf just brighten your day? 

~ ~ ~

What are you wearing to keep warm this winter?

Have you found any fun winter accessories?

Hands On Night!

Two weeks ago I attended Hands On night ~ a night intended for those who have gone through the Dressing Your Truth course to learn more in depth and specific things about our specific types.  This is something free you are offered once you have signed up for the course.  They are taped so that those who can't attend, or don't live nearby can still see it.

I was so surprised to be called up and to be on camera again with Carol Tuttle!  They showed off my hairstyle which bumps up at the crown.  It's funny because I have been doing my hair like that since junior high and I have met a lot of Type 1's in person who ask me how I do it! 

So guess what!  

I'm going to give you a quick tutorial!

With a bonus of how I do my hair 

the next day after I bump it up like that!

{you will probably need to click

the picture to enlarge it!}

I can usually get a better bump in my hair when I pull it back on the second day.  Trust me, a ponytail looks better on me this way than if I just pulled it back into a slick, straight and tight ponytail without any height.  So there you go!  A quick tutorial {of sorts}!  :)

We also laughed that if your necklace looks like its candy ~ and it looks like you can eat your necklace and it would taste really yummy, then it's a good thing!  LOL!

The colors in these pictures look a little off.  The necklace actually does tend to look a little bit like candy.  It was the souvenir necklace I bought in Washington DC and showed you here.

The evening was lots of fun and I met some fabulous ladies!  Hi gals!  You made my  night!  :D  If you ever get the chance to meet me, please do!  Come say hi to me!  It was so fun to meet and make new friends!