spt

a "makeover" for me is pretty simple. i love to read over make-up and fashion tips, and sometimes i even make note to pick up a new product. but honestly, names like Sephora, Clinique and MAC are pretty foreign to me (and my budget!) and, while i'm in love with the trendy "smoky eyelid" look, i'd feel a little silly trying to pull that off here at the Hampton Inn.

when it's all said and done, my "makeover" consists of one very basic product. i'm not particular to any brand, but i do prefer one applicator over another. i will change hues and colors throughout the seasons, but rarely remember to buy more than one of each, so when i'm out, i'm out! i very rarely spend over $5 - $6, and i'm NEVER (well, hardly ever) seen without it...

BEFORE


AFTER


behold, the power of the gloss!!

have you had a (non)extreme makeover recently? tell us about it!

spt challenge - (non)extreme makeover

i was just sitting here musing over a challenge for spt, and it struck me that tuesday is salon day!! thank goodness!! (remember a few years back, i mentioned that i was very picky about who cut my hair? but, over time, i had become the mad crazy mom who snuck into great clips after work.)

i recently became the mad crazy mom who has decided to make self-preservation (i.e. hair cut and color) a priority. i've been visiting the salon on a regular basis for a few months now. i secretly love having a salon to visit! having someone with a vision for my hair, and who won't cringe when i ask her to streak some funky colors into it, has made a world of difference.

a cut and/or color can be an easy way to feel hip and trendy (am i the only one who struggles with NOT feeling hip and trendy?!?) there are a million little ways to get a mini-makeover, even when a visit to the salon is not on the calendar.

what's YOUR secret to feeling and looking fabulous?

spt

taking a break isn't easy. but i recently remembered how fantastic my mp3 player is. i can throw these buds in my ears and take off for a walk, fold some laundry, blog, fall asleep for a a quick nap, even enjoy a flight. music soothes me, heals me, inspires me and motivates me.

my mp3 makes it easier to find those little pick-me-up moments throughout the day. plus, i think the soundtrack to my life is pretty awesome. any guesses as to what i might be listening to?

spt challenge - give me a break!

come on, we all need one... that hour we use to splurge on a massage or a pedicure, that workout at the gym, those fifteen minutes when we hide in the bathroom while our families lie in wait just outside the door...

what do YOU do when you need a breather? please share.

spt

LOVE this time of year. love, love, LOVE! highs in the 70s, lows in the 40s. perfectly comfortable throughout the day. wanting a cardigan in the evenings. open windows and breezes through the curtains. the hum of tree frogs. freshly scraped knees from endless bike rides.

no bugs. no humidity.

but the pollen. oh, the pollen...
for me, it's trees. oak trees and pine trees, covering the world (and my eyes! and nose!) with their yellow-y, dust-y presence. i use more contact lenses in april than i do throughout the rest of the year.

for all of you who are suffering (not so silently) along with me, i offer a heart-felt "gesunheit!"



Spring also brings a lightening of my heart, an emotional cleanse that seems to coincide with the shedding of heavy clothes. i can't help but look forward on a sunny Spring day, lifting my face to gentle rays of warmth. i want to move my body and still my heart.

on a day like today, i believe i just might be superwoman.

deja vu

um, so yeah...

(see you later!)

spt challenge - weather or not

ahh, Springtime. (or, shall I say, "ahh-choo, Springtime!) despite the fact that my world seems sunny and warm these days, i am acutely aware that across this country (and beyond!) Winter is not willing to give up it's foothold. and in other places, Summer seems to be kicking Spring to the curb before she even has a chance to bloom!!

amy m has shared some of her thoughts about how the weather affects her outlook on things. i feel much the same way. how about your? what's your weather these days? is it putting you in a bright, cheerful mood or making you want to pull the covers up over your head?

join us on Tuesday with your spt and your weather forecast. bring your umbrellas and rain boots, your sunscreen and floppy hats, but feel free to leave the pollen at home. we've got enough of that here...

wordless wednesday

 

spt

hi! how are you?
i'm looking a little frazzled, i know. that's sort of how i roll these days. it's spring break, did you know? spring break has challenges for everyone, and there is a special sort of stress for mom's who work outside of the home. who doesn't want to be home "breaking" with their family?

i did sneak away for lunch at the beach today, overlooking the ocean and the sand volleyball court and the teens-who-refuse-to-wear-sunblock. their pinkness made me long for the aloe vera.

the hotel is full which is a happy thing. soccer is in full swing and i am NOT coaching, which is also a happy thing!

so, what's new with you?

(i'm having a moment of blog amnesia, and can't remember my login info for Mr. Linky. please leave a comment if you spt'd this week, so we can all be sure to visit!!)

uhhh...

i HAVE an spt!

i DON'T have the cord to my camera at work with me...

i WILL be back to post when i get home tonight.

i HOPE i will see you then!!

spt challenge (i KNOW!)

hello, old friend...

what better way to ease back into the spt routine than to kick off with an easy "challenge?" it's been long enough that i feel like having a little homecoming party. would you like to come?!?

you don't need to bring anything and please don't stress out about what to wear. it'll just be a gathering of friends, doing what friends do... sharing stories about what is new in life.

go ahead: snap that photo!! tell us what you're doing today - a few words, a few sentences, a few paragraphs... it doesn't matter. but make sure that beautiful self-portrait is front and center!!

*see you* you tomorrow!!

agent of change

please read this.

i am honored to have been highlighted in the Wilmington Star News. (though i'm a little overwhelmed by the attention.)

did you see the part where my blog address is published?? i suddenly feel the need to update this blog!!

Easter Sunday