Dayna's Minerals will be closed until June 29th and all other announcements...

Hi everyone, sorry for the long time no post--- Business has been rather slow so I have been attending to other projects during the lull. More on this later but first I'd thought I'd get to the beauty postings.

At Christmas time I was planning to order this mascara set Sephora had when I ordered some other things for DD but they no longer had any so when I got an email last week with another mascara mini set I was all over it. I do see it as my duty to test as many mascaras as possible LOL. So be on the lookout for an extensive mascara review of these 11 mascaras. They also had some other cute sets but I'm most interested in mascara since that's one thing I don't make. I also added in a small Philosophy "Amazing Grace" spray perfume to get above the $50 free shipping-- it's DD's favorite perfume and "Falling In Love" (my favorite) was only available on waitlist. 

I also recently ordered a couple of clearance bikinis from Victoria's Secret. Granted I do not have the ultimate bikini bod (or even a good bikini bod) but find that I actually look better in bikinis that one piece swimsuits. One piece suits have a couple of issues for me. They rarely have the support that I need. Shelf bras just don't cut it for me. I also find that to get a one piece that fits my chest, the bottom will be too big- saggy bottom in a swimsuit seems just wrong in the age of spandex but that's how it is with me. I find this ironic because I feel like I have plenty of "junk in the trunk" but apparently I have more junk up top in comparison. I also feel like I look better in a bikini- I have the "pooch" tummy but with decent coverage bottoms, it is minimized yet my tummy above the belly button actually looks rather athletic... I have a very big rib cage so my tummy actually dips in under my ribs- thus giving the illusion (yes it is an illusion) that I have rather fit abs. I also have a small waist- which gets overlooked in one pieces that are sized for my chest. I don't really like my thighs but they aren't going to look any different in a one-piece vs. a 2 piece. I really like the classic miracle bra tops that VS has because it's the perfect bikini top for me. It's nearly as supportive as a bra, the only tops that are more supportive are halters but after a while, my neck is pretty achy wearing a halter. LOL. VS doesn't seem to offer the classic bra style much any more so even though I have quite a few I ordered two different prints. One is a brown and white combo- I got two different bottoms for it. One is solid brown with a belt in the print and the other is in the same print. The other is a black retro print- the classic bra top is on back order so if it ends up not being available, I will be sending back the bottoms that have the print but I also purchased black bottoms with the retro fabric belt which can be worn with the all  black top. I am kind of digging the whole mix and match bikini thing that is in style right now- can you tell? Now I only wish we could do our annual beach vacation this summer but hubby's job has just been too hectic for him to schedule a week away. Even this week's visit is complicated. He went to work today and will be going on a business trip or two before finally ending up at his parents' home while the kids and I will leave from here in a day or two-- depends on when neighbors get back from their vacation. My boys are dog sitting for them. 

Friday I was at Hobby Lobby and found a three pack of camel hair brushes for $3.99. The largest one was an ideal blush brush. The middle one could be used as a blush brush but it's a bit smaller than what I like to use in general, and the smallest one is a perfect eye fluff brush- especially for blending at the end. They have these rubberized grip areas that kind of remind me of my favorite Sonia Kashuk eye brush.   They are really soft and well worth the $1.33 each. Like many other MMU maniacs, hobby stores can have the best brushes for the price. 

I think that's all the major "purchasing" I've done -wait- l I did buy a couple of cheap pairs of capris at Walmart that I cut into bermuda shorts for myself over the weekend. As you may well know, I have issues with finding shorts/pants/jeans that fit. Often times my thighs look like sausage stuffed into it's casing while the waist will gape so much you can see 1/2 my underwear. Not really the look I am going for LOL. I tried on a pair of shorts while shopping-  they were so tight across part of my rear  and my thighs but was at least 4 inches from touching the middle of my back at the waist. So the capris had a little more thigh/butt room to make decent shorts for myself with a little altering. 

NOW, I think I am done with the beauty purchases recently. So I'll quickly put up the three FOTD I've done since last posting- and then explain why I only have 3. LOL 

June 11

Tanya Foundation with MMBB grape spray

Toastin' Coast Bronzer

Eyes- Empress' New Clothes, Luminous White Gold, and Espresso Yourself. Max Factor Lash Lift mascara

Lips- A new favorite of mine MMBB indelible lip pencil in Adorable. It's the perfect color for my lips!!!!! So glad I got this one from Lisa when she was offering the pencils. 

June 19

B2.1 Foundation (It's a lighter version of B2 foundation and is actually a really good match with my tan- once I do some bronzing--- see in the 3rd photo how everything matches) MMBB Neroli Spray

Beach Bronzer

Coral Breeze Blush

Earthy Girl for brows--- I recently colored my hair a redder brown so Earthy Girl makes my brows warmer looking= matching new hair

THESE ARE MY EASY SUMMER EYES-- 

1. Apply Luminous White Gold to inner corner of each eye and also as brow highlight. 

2. Cocoa Nut applied to crease. 

3. Mascara (Full N Soft)

Just enough to look done without trying. 

Lips- Peach Coffee Cake

Funny story about this day/look. I was at my middle son's guitar lesson this afternoon and right before he finished these 3 guys come in. The one goes in the back for lessons, one wanders around the store and the last plops down on the other end of the couch from me. I am reading "To a God Unknown" by John Steinbeck while waiting. Anyway, my couch-mate starts talking to me. Says how his brother is taking lessons with his uncle Bobby. I explained I was waiting for my son to finish up his lesson with Eric. He asks "Are you a single mother?" Me "No, I am married." Him "Dang!" Eventually he asks "Do you have any tattoos?" No. "Do you smoke?" No.  Him "I do" and then he starts showing me his tattoos which are not professional-- think prison tattoos or someone doing letters or whatever on their own. LOL I'm trying to be nice because I can tell that this guy isn't a mental giant. He starts saying how he's "21, going to be 22 in Aug. That's 2 months away." Me- "Oh my daughter's is in Aug. too" Him "Is she younger than your son?" Me "No she'll be 16." Him "Is she as pretty as you?" How do I even answer that? Yes? I certainly don't want this guy dating my daughter. Like I said, I got the feeling this guy wasn't the brightest crayon in the box so DH got a kick out the story when I told him that evening. Now I have "Odd Lot Guy" and "Mentally Challenged Guy" as my getting hit on stories. LOL

June 22

B2.1 foundation with Neroli spray

Toastin' Coast Bronzer

Tarte Dollface blush

Eyes- Fiery over most of lid, especially inner half. Mahogany along lower lash line and outer V. Luminous White Gold as brow highlight. Max Factor Lash Lift mascara

Lips- MMBB Adorable liner. Cover Girl Amaze Mint gloss in Pink Positive. 

OK- so I have been quite absent from blogging. As I said, business has been slow so I thought I'd use the opportunity to get some projects done around the house. A few weeks ago I stained the deck (which I am still kicking myself for not doing at least 3 years ago-- I'll give myself the first summer since we moved in July and I had more important things to do that summer.) We are soon approaching our 4th anniversary in this house-- we may actually break our record of living in the same house in another month-- so far, it's 4 years almost on the nose. Anyway, the deck looks great and I am glad I got it out of the way because we've been having some hellacious storms and the stain needed 24 hours to dry. Here's how the deck looks- also wanted to show how nice my planters are doing. Plus last one of how the dogs are so bad--- Dog Whisperer would be very unhappy with the tails being up like both of theirs are--- Sully especially looks like he's not too happy. LOL 

June 11th- the kids and I were eating dinner and I looked out the kitchen window and noticed how eerie it looked. I then turned on TV and there were tornado warnings in our county and surrounding counties. So I made the kids go in the basement and hang out until it was over.  We didn't get anything too bad but it was creepy looking. 

Starting this week I had an unexpected task on my plate. Monday morning I got a call with a man saying "I'm supposed to deliver a car to you." I tell him "I think you have the wrong number" and went about getting the boys' room ready to paint. At about 1 P.M. I get another call "I have a car that is supposed to be delivered to X." I say "Yes, that's my husband's name but I don't know anything about a car being delivered." The guy eventually mentions the name of the company that hubby works for and I say "Well, I guess they are giving him a company car but he's in Chicago right now so I am not sure what he wants. Can I call you back after I talk to him?" Apparently someone was fired and the company still has a lease on this 2008 Ford Escape, so they decided to turn it over to my hubby instead of paying for his mileage on his truck. So that was delivered to my house Wed. morning. I had to run the delivery man to the bus station before I started my day. Aside-- hubby HATES this vehicle--- it's so noisy and vibrates like crazy. He keeps saying that it is no wonder that the American car companies are in the state they are in when they produce Sh*t like this. He has a 2000 Dodge Dakota standard transmission that rides better and is quieter than this Escape!! The previous employee that had it was a woman and she must have drenched herself in perfume- the vehicle REEKED of it. I put whole french vanilla coffee beans in several cups and put in the cup holders to try to get rid of the nasty perfume. Hubby would have enjoyed driving it even more when he came out smelling like a female prostitute every time. LOL 

June 15th I started the process of painting the boys' room. I decided to paint it two colors- Smoke Screen (a smoky blue) and Summer Suede (Beige) since it has lots of neat angles and cubbies and dormers... a great way to play up these aspects of the room. This day I just got the walls ready- filled in holes and sanded, vacuumed up the mess. Tuesday I bought paint and started on the blue parts. In the afternoon, my sons said they were going to go down to the neighbors to let the dogs in (they are afraid of storms) but I could hear thunder so I told them I'd take them down. This storm came in fast and in the short time it took to get the dogs settled and go back up our street it was coming down. As I pull into our drive I noticed several large branches on the ground in our lot. Wednesday I worked on the beige parts of the room after dropping off the car delivery man. The boys had the old neighbor boy over and in the afternoon another storm rolled in- I had to interrupt painting to once again drive them to neighbors' to let dogs in. This was another storm with tornado warnings associated with it. Even though it was more area, it went faster because there were larger expanses of wall to just roll on the paint.  Thursday I worked on beige walls in the bathroom. I had already done one wall blue on previous day. I had one son's guitar lessons at 1 pm so I was working hard to get it done before that. I am really pleased with the results. Now I have to make the new roman shades and put up the cornices I made a while ago to match the room and figure out what I am going to do with the stairs... they are in dire need of paint-- at least hand level since my boys can't seem to keep their hands off the walls but it's way up there some places so edging in along the ceiling will be near impossible without scaffolding--- I am thinking of doing a blue line that follows the angle of the stairs and then paint the beige below this line and cover all the really bad stuff. Leaving the upper walls and ceiling white. 

Friday I spent much of it shopping- not fun stuff but groceries and other errands that had gotten ignored due to the painting frenzy. Weekend was spent hanging with hubby. We got up early both mornings to go down to the local university track (rubberized) so that we could get workouts in before it got too hot. I know Friday the heat and humidity was such that the local weatherman was telling people to be careful because the heat index was going to be high. I even convinced hubby not to run Friday evening because it was still sweltering. 

This morning DD and I went to cross country practice. She is going to be team manager again and wants to show up once a week or so. She runs with the other girls. It was funny because last Monday- June 8th- when we showed up the coach was all excited and she quickly explained to him that she was only there as team manager- she is not going to run cross country. She looks at it as cross training for track. She does the cross country workout (long distance) when she goes to practice but on weekends she does speed work and repeat 300 meters. She's also lifting weights with Dad to get more explosive on her triple jump. I've been instructed (by DH) to do upper body lifts with her during the week-- he wants me to get back into lifting plus it would drive him crazy to try to lift with her-- with the lower body ones they each can have their own bar but too much of a PITA for bench press and upper body stuff. 

I got to get family ready for trip to Ohio-- so that's my "work" for the week. Lisa Lu also wanted me to give her painting tips so I thought I'd share those with everyone-- just in case anyone wants them. I may get those done before I leave for Ohio but I am not making any promises.