This short movie from Simple Truths has richness in it.

I enjoyed the illustrations immensely. They captured the nuances of emotions and made me laugh.

This is really apropos for today’s times.

Karin

• Transition times

• The Land of Mango Sunsets (book)

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

• Courage

• Living by nouns

• Land Real Estate Opportunities

• Tee Times Green Fees Golf

• A Simple Plan A Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Tokens Hard Times Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey-NHL Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles

Just when it seems like a bit of good news would be exceedingly welcomed, comes this true story (I’ve checked it with Snopes) about a woman hand feeding hummingbirds.

Isn’t it great that with the Internet we have a way to easily share these experiences that we might never hear about otherwise?!

Thanks to Cathy for sharing with me in the first place!

It’s a reminder to me that “God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.”

from “Pippa Passes”

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his Heaven -
All’s right with the world!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

Is it possible that in these difficult times we could trust more deeply that God will feed and clothe us, as he does the birds and the lilies? Whether we are literally in need of food, shelter, clothing, water, health, employment or any of a myriad of other needs, the most basic need is for the ideas that will lead us in the right direction and out of limitation.

Ideas are always limitless! (This goes along with the short movie I posted earlier.)

Not too long ago while pondering how I should schedule my day, though my first inclination the night before had been to get on down the road and back home, I felt it was all right to meander a bit. In doing so, I had a number of interesting conversations with strangers, some welcome time with a friend, and a bit of fashion enjoyment, including some time with perfumes.

After I’d been back on the highway for a while, an electronic sign informed me of an accident 26 miles down the road. One lane was closed. (I learned later that it had only cleared about an hour before I got there.) If I had hurried my way home, I would have been stuck for hours while they cleared the road. I was able to get past it without any lost time.

Sometimes we do not know what we or others are protected from, but this time it was apparent. And it could have been far worse, but thankfully wasn’t. On this busy stretch of road, many more could have been involved in this accident but were not.

That’s just a small example of how ideas will clear our day for us. Expect ideas today and always that will help you!

Karin

• Adoption Corruption 6) Hold non-profit adoption agencies accountable

• Free dictionary

• Can someone explain why…

• Thursday, Holy Week, part 5

• Living by song titles or lyrics

• Internet Businesses Websites Businesses for Sale Opportunities

• Hand Tools Tools Home Improvement

• Hand Tools Parts Tools Clocks Collectibles

• Hand Mirrors Vanity, Perfume Shaving Collectibles

• Hammers Hand Tools Tools Home Improvement

I saw this movie today, and it was surprisingly funny. I hadn’t particularly wanted to go, but I was glad I did.

The entire audience laughed a lot. There were only a few really dumb things, and one character I could have written out, but the main character is so delightful and watchable and innocently kind that she is a pleasure to watch. And she holds many lessons.

There are a couple of questionable things for very young children and some bad language, but not a lot. My girls would love it, at 10 and 12. I think they can handle it.

Shelley (Anna Farris is charming in the part and makes the movie) is living the life of her dreams at the Playboy Mansion. She feels the mansion has given her the home she never had before. (The movie begins with a short montage of her early childhood spent in an orphanage, until she finally found acceptance and a sense of family. This is not dwelt upon, but you might need to be aware of it.)

Hugh Hefner plays himself in several cameos in the movie. It’s good to see his health has improved. I hadn’t realized he was in it.

When Hugh goes off for a time, immediately after Shelley’s 27th birthday party, she is presented with a letter from him giving her 2 hours to leave the premises as she is now ‘too old.’ 27 is now evidently 59 in Bunny years.

How she finds herself the housemother of what likely began as Zeta (Zeta Tau Alpha) but morphed into a close cousin in name, is part of the poignancy and fun. The girls in the house need to pledge 30 girls in order not to lose their charter. How she turns them into a viable sorority is a delight.

There is a typical sorority bitch that has shown up in several movies. (And there is a Bunny bitch too.) In a way this movie is like a female version of Sydney White, but we liked it better. (The theater rated it 3 out of 5.)

It’s easy to imagine Elle Woods living this life. (Colin Hanks plays her love interest.)

She’s definitely a likeable bimbo, and you can’t help but root for her. Many scenes touched my heart.

We went out happy.

Karin

• Easter/Passover Traditions

• All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny

• Harry Potter spoilers here in comment section, not in main post

• Premonition, the new Sandra Bullock movie (college girl’s spoilers)

• Good to go for Harry Potter

• Cartoon Character Bronze Age 1970-79 Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Golden Age 1938-55 Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Modern Age 1980-Now Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Silver Age 1956-69 Comics Collectibles

• Archie Cartoon Character Bronze Age 1970-79 Comics Collectibles

As I wrote in my previous post, Aromaleigh has a wide variety of colors to choose from. If I were starting to look into minerals, I think I would look only here. I don’t think you could go wrong. Plus they have a forum, a gallery of photos (don’t let any of these scare you; the colors can be applied with any degree of subtlety, easily), and a blog by the founder.

I took advantage of their sample program and ordered a number of them. There is free shipping with any order that is only samples. The samples are packaged in small zip lock bags. It would be very easy to take these along on a trip instead of taking full size jars along. And you can fit a lot of colors into a small space.

Additionally, when I ordered, I was gifted with a few samples, including a bit of their lip balm, which is very nice, and with my second order a colored lipstick, which I haven’t tried yet.

I sampled two of their Glissade foundations: Ivory (1CL) and Alabaster (G-00). I made an educated guess by looking at their color chart and knowing I needed lighter than the lightest one in BE. I didn’t want anything too yellow or peachy. Neutral leaning toward pink is always a good choice for me.

Ivory is perfect, Alabaster was a little light, but perfect for mixing with minerals I already own that are too dark. For my second order, I ordered both in full size, I thought, but accidentally ordered Ghost (which is almost white.) I haven’t tried that one yet, but it might work well, again, lightening mineral foundations that are too dark.

Judging from my success, I believe you could take an educated guess with your own skin tone too.

There are several ways to buy their eye shadows — by color families or by types of shadow (matte or shimmer or glitter.) I ordered samples in a variety of colors and types, pretty much staying away from the totally matte. I use them dry as liner also. They also have a sealant, which I have not tried as I have another brand, which allows you to wet any shadow for liner.

They blend beautifully, probably better than BE.

I didn’t get a chance to look up the ones that other people had recommended until today, and then I realized that I had ordered only one of these, so in my next samples I will try a couple of them.

Other people recommended:

Circe, Brianna, Lilith (this is the one I tried and really liked), Arielle, Cossette (dusty rose with a hint of copper). Lola (icy, but subtle, gray that makes blue eyes pop). Ophelia. Sophie (cool basic shade that blends well with most any other color). Lorelei (lifts darker colors, giving a nice shine)…

With every order there is a sample of eye shadow called Le Mystere. It is a limited edition made up of left over minerals from mixing other colors. I’ve received Le Mystere #63 twice now, and it is a favorite. The only way to keep this is to use it sparingly, find someone who wants to part with theirs or perhaps you could buy a full size.

Here’s what I tried either because I chose them or they were included with my orders (3 samples came with each order):

Pinks: Pandora;
Greens: Nanette, Severina, Isadora, lilypad, basil (loved this one), jade, azure, drama queen;
Purples: Hydrangea (a beautiful light one for over all base), Isabella, Lillith, Penelope, verbena, orchid, desire, amethyst, lush memoir;
browns: Balsam;
glitter (Rocks): paranoia, ribbons, evil woman; pretty please, reverberation, disintegration

If you like neutrals, they have a wide selection of gray and heather toned colors as well as browns. Their browns are workable with my brown eyes, as their selection is wide enough that there are browns in the right tones. (Often browns are too yellow toned for me to wear. They just make me look blah.)

I find the glitters go over the whole eyelid after color and don’t look too glitzy. They are perfect. Even the brightest colors blend well, as do the darks.

Let me know if you have tried Aromaleigh and what shade, and let me know if you’re going to try. Really, you’ll be happy you did! Not only do I want to try more sample shades, but I also want several full size.

Karin

• Mineral Makeup

• Ujjaini-Aishwarya Chup gayye sare nazaare

• Tracey Thorn Raise the roof

• LeftRight, interviewed and playing

• Strength for the day

• Fluorescent Minerals Mineral Specimens Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Wide Womens Shoes

• Fossils Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• My Minerals Eye Shadow Makeup Store

Do you like to wear mineral makeup? For the most part, I do not wear mineral foundation, I prefer a liquid. I don’t find the liquid mineral foundations to be as good in their color range, or any better, than a normal liquid foundation.

I started with Bare Essentials. They don’t have a good color match for my skin, so I pretty much only use their shadows or blush. I also like their all over face radiance in Clear. Their brushes are excellent. You can buy BE at stand-alone stores, in some Nordstroms, online at their website, and also in Sephora.

Recently I decided to try Aromaleigh on the basis of recommendations I’d seen online. Their products are excellent. They are as good, or better, than any I’ve tried with a very wide color range of shadows. They are beautiful on. They also have good sales and discount coupons that you can use with most orders, depending on the size. They have an excellent fact sheet. And they also have a sheet that matches BE colors of foundation to their own. I found a good color match to my skin, and I’m using it on my neck. I still prefer liquid foundation on my face. I also found a lighter color that I’ve mixed in successfully to some other colors of other brands that didn’t match, so perhaps I can use these up on my neck also. They have an excellent sample program. I will write more about the colors I tried in another post.

I’ve tried L’Oreal mineral makeup. They matched my skin better than BE, but not as well as Aromaleigh. Mixing it in with the lighter Aromaleigh, I think I can use it on my neck. I liked the idea of the brush in the top, but I thought it would filter through the brush vs. needing to dip the brush in product. The brush for their Illuminator is similar to the BE brush, but it is connected to the cap. I like some of their blush colors.

Jane has some mineral makeup. I’ve only tried a couple of shadows and blushes. I bought strictly on color.

Mary Kay recently came out with minerals. I think they are excellent. They are pressed, so they are easy to use and take with you, and they have a good color range. Their foundation was a better match for me than BE. I like their blushes and their shadows (I prefer the ones that shimmer.) I really like their highlighter (I use both the matte and the shimmer together.) They have a really nice bronzer, again matte and shimmer. I use the highlighter instead. Either the highlighter or the bronzer can be used on your eyes.

How about you, have you tried minerals and do you like them? As soon as I can, I will write up a review of the Aromaleigh colors that I’ve sampled.

Karin

• The 100 Unsexiest men of 2007

• Dream Girls

• Talkin’ about Jolie Madame and Cabochard

• Spain sets the bar for fashion

• Halloween

• Mineral Specimens Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Crystals Mineral Specimens Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Display Specimens Mineral Specimens Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Fluorescent Minerals Mineral Specimens Rocks, Fossils, Minerals Collectibles

• Mineral Waters Antique Pre-1900 Bottles Bottles Insulators Collectibles

This book is a delicious romp, with some serious issues handled through the story and the relationships, but in ways that you care about the characters and don’t look at them with a jaundiced eye. Most of us have known someone who might act this way, given half a chance. And most of us have felt the brunt of some of this, even if in lesser degree.

Again, I was struck by the cover (which was what made me choose it) — both the illustration and the clever title with its play on words to the English idiom, “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” (It gave me the opportunity to define the idiom to my younger girls.) And because it said chic clothing, I hoped it would be as fashionably interesting as it turns out to be.

Oh my, this story is a lark! Filled with twenty-something abbreviations, it is Mean Girls grown up. I read nearly every word so as not to miss any of the humor or the abbreviations. The authors skewer anybody and everything. They even skewer themselves:

Lell: “My number-one priority is discretion…I don’t like to have people who are loose-lipped working close to me [she has security cameras trained on everyone]…I don’t gossip about my coworkers, and I expect — no, no demand the same from them. Besides the fact that we have no friends in common, you don’t seem the type to waste time on meretricious persiflage.”

Julia (thinking): Meretricious persiflage? What the hell was that? “Of course not. I am like a vault…” And God, what had she told Douglas so far? She’d need to put a filter on that.

Lell: I didn’t think so. Because gossip is really just tacky and harmful…In fact, there are two girls that I’m sort of friends with, and they have a book deal to write about twenty-something Park Avenue debutantes. I think it’s really shameful and tacky.” p 64

It has everything — a thoroughly likable main character, Julia; love; sex; morality; sexless marriage (and adultery and wished-for adultery); a pedophile married to one of the women; extreme wealth and those who have wealth, but can never keep up; four friends who are variably supportive of each other; gay men (friends with the heroine Julia) who later enter into marriage in Canada; foreign phrases used to separate the knowledgeable from the less knowledgeable…

All this is delivered with a camera’s eye, dished up with humor, while we laughingly wince at the character flaws, which are our own, but exaggerated enough to make them palatable.

Julia has naturally what the others need to develop — style with a capital “S.” She works at Pelham’s jewelry store, a mere peon in the system, until she is noticed by Lell, the store heiress, when she is asked to deliver a necklace on Lell’s wedding day. Julia is handcuffed to the briefcase containing the necklace and escorted by security. While there, she knows intuitively how the bridal attendants can successfully wear the normally staid and old-ladyish Pelham jewelry (which is delivered in a second delivery), by making some deceptively simple changes.

Suddenly Julia becomes the pawn in Lell’s and Polly’s makeovers. Both see her potential and feel it will reflect well on them if they are her mentor. Lell really has nothing to prove with the snobbery to bring it home, but Polly is playing catch up. Julia finds herself thrust into the world of trust funds (and lack of), loveless marriages, the milieu of high fashion, and more. She loses herself for a bit, but never completely loses her good sense, her kindness, her sense of seeing the good in everyone, even when they treat her crassly.

I rate it a 5. I chuckled out loud more than once, and I look forward to reading their first book on the off chance that it is similar to this one.

BTW, this would make a great movie!

Have you read it? If you like the relationship between the women in Sex and the City or the cattiness of The Devil Wears Prada, this is a book you will thoroughly enjoy.

Karin

If you are looking for interesting jewelry or bridal attendant gifts, look to Inky Productions. You can find more information at her blog. Her MySpace.

• Spain sets the bar for fashion

• It’s Saturday…Cheb Mami - Le Rai Cest Chic

• Authentic moments

• Trouble with Harry Potter Hallows audio book

• Harry Potter spoilers here in comment section, not in main post

• Back of Book Canada Stamps

• Book Ends Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

• Back of Book United States Stamps

• Air Mail Back of Book United States Stamps

• Booklets Back of Book United States Stamps

This product is one I tried on the strength of others’ recommendations. I really love it!

Not only is it good for my skin, leaving it slightly moisturized but not oily, it leaves no tub ring. I have a chocolate brown tub, so that is really important for me. Plus, even the residual bubbles at the bottom leave no evidence when the tub dries. And the bubbles last through my whole bath.

And, to top it off, when it is not on sale it is only $7.99.

I’m glad someone shared this or I never would have tried it. I bought a scented one for my kids. I’ll let you know how they like it.

Karin

How well do you like Avon Bubble Bath for sensitive skin?
	1 Stars
	2 Stars
	3 Stars
	4 Stars
Web Polls

• Is it ever possible to have too many eye creams?

• 3 Proven Skin Care Ingredients

• How many X hundred dollar creams can a woman use?

• 2007 FiFi Awards Finalists Announced

• Kids are so funny, they keep you on your toes

• Bubble Baths Bath Body Store

• Avon Cleansers Skin Care Store

• Avon Moisturizers Skin Care Store

• Avon Acne Blemish Control Skin Care Store

• Avon Anti-Aging Products Skin Care Store

When it comes to facial treatment products, I find that I like to at least sample products that friends have led me to. If a friend recommends a product as accomplishing what it is hyped to do, I rely more on their judgment than an ad campaign.

How about you? Have you tried (or bought) something recommended to you by a RL or online friend? Did you find yourself more satisfied with it? (Or trying something you might never have found or tried on your own? There is such a plethora of products now, who can sort through them all?)

There’s something about it that makes me happy. Maybe there is even less buyer’s remorse or second guessing.

Since I was about at the end of a couple of products, I bought something completely new to me on the strength or recommendations. They are significantly less money than the products I have finished. I’ll let you know what I think of them after trying them for a couple of weeks or so.

Karin

• Talkin’ about MMU Make Me Smooth cosmetics/fragrances

• 2007 FiFi Awards Finalists Announced

• Chocolate Rose and Limone Con Chocolate, fragrances for Valentine’s Day

• Some perfume stats

• 3 Proven Skin Care Ingredients

• Clubmaking Products Golf

• Grips Clubmaking Products Golf

• Shafts Clubmaking Products Golf

• Club Heads Clubmaking Products Golf

• Anti-Aging Products Skin Care Store

One thing that is good about getting out of town is that it broadens our perspectives. It is all too easy to think our little (or big) milieu is the final word or full extent of mores or fashion or culture or…

Recently while out of town, I was struck by how many men I saw with pony tails. Nearly all of them had them held back, then clamped across the middle to the ends with other bands. Most of the men were older, but not all.

Personally, I like this look but never see it at home. It must bring back aspects of my youth.

I’m curious where the men were from. The area we traveled has world-wide tourists, so the men were likely from all over. I wonder if the look is prevalent in their area, or if they march to a different drummer.

I saw a number of nose studs (we see a lot here) and a few tattoos. One elderly woman was heavily tattooed, though there was a bit of open skin.

What do you find similar in your own experience?

Karin

• Taking advantage of the minutes

• I believe in you, Bob Dylan

• Ebony Fashion Fair reminiscenses

• Hot Fuzz, movie review

• Catching up

• US State, Town Views Postcards Collectibles

• Non-US Countries, Town Views Postcards Collectibles

• UK Non-US Countries, Town Views Postcards Collectibles

• Alabama US State, Town Views Postcards Collectibles

• Alaska US State, Town Views Postcards Collectibles

I love spring. I was out bike riding with two of my girls today and thought about how much I love spring — and so, not in any particular order, here are 10 reasons:

1. The temperatures — so much of the year it is terribly hot here. It’s a wonderful respite to have mild weather.

2. The colors — the new greens of the grass and the budding trees, the colors of flowers.

3. Flowers and flowering trees. Some of this reminds me of spring in Michigan and the sweet alysum that my mother used to plant along the walkways — alternating years were either white or purple. Somehow I would be surprised to see them newly planted, then they would take off in profusion.

4. Scents in the air — a plus for someone who loves perfume. A friend has a beautiful purple flowering jacaranda tree — the whole area outside her home smelled of these flowers yesterday. I made her come outside to smell them — and I pulled down one of the branches to smell the flowers up close and personal. Very lush!

5. Bike riding — one of life’s pleasures. Tonight waxy yellow flowers of the plumeria trees scented the bike path.

6. Enjoying my porches. I especially love the front porch during a heavy rain. The porch is tiny, but it provides enough shelter that I am only wet with the spray in the air. I love the sounds and the smells of the rain. In earlier years I would sit on the porch during a storm with my oldest Chinese daughter who was at that time petrified of storms. She would sit on my lap, and we would see how beautiful it was, the lightening, the thunder, the rain — how it couldn’t hurt us, we were perfectly safe.

7. Birds singing.

8. Perfect weather — I know I already wrote this, but it bears repeating twice. It is such a pleasure to get out in it. It’s hard to stay inside. Yesterday we washed three cars and enjoyed doing it.

9. Listening to the frogs at night. They are currently ’singing.’

10. Newness of life reminding me of all the goodness that is on offer if we just get out in it and put ourselves in the middle of it.

How about you, what do you like about spring?

Karin

• Lovely spring morning here

• Waiting for spring in Michigan

• Fires in Greece

• A Madame Rochas kind of day

• Mother’s Day

• Spring C-Clamps Clamps Vises Hand Tools Tools Home Improvement

• Tokens Love Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• Love Hina Japanese, Anime Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

• Love, Romance Charming Tails Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

• Girls Handbags