stop - i'm blushing

i know, i know, you've all missed me terribly! well - i had a baby so i've got good reason to have been out of the computer loop. this doesn't mean that i'm going to start only telling you about the best mommy gear (though, i do love those sites and have found them to be a god-send). but, i am continually striving to down size & stream line life, so you'll be the recipient of all of those must-have products. here's one that i'm not sure how i lived without - bobbi brown's pot rouge. i've been on the hunt for a great cream blush (i don't really care if it works on my lips; you all know how i feel about lip gloss). bobbi brown's pot rouge is the best around. it stays on ALL day. even through southern heat and a full day of chasing toddlers & dogs around. i'm sporting the pale pink (not the color pictured), which looks like something katy perry or ke$ha (really - a dollar sign? kills me) would sport on tour. but, actually goes on so pretty and gives you the best, most youthful flush. i'm already drooling over other colors. it also will last forever as it only takes a tiny amount to give you great coverage. worth the $24.00 and available at any bobbi brown counter in the mall. so though i've only had 17 minutes of restful sleep, my face looks perky and ready for more (please god, no).

what pea?

in an effort to focus more on the home comforts over the next month or so, let me introduce you to the best thing that ever happened to your bed. unless you're sleeping with george clooney. i'd guess, anyway. this feather bed (the unsexy name is the allergy luxe down alternative fiberbed with premium allergen barrier fabric), found at bed bath & beyond, is the perfect topper to send you off to la-la land. it's 100% cotton and filled with down alternative, which means its not going to make you sneeze and you can wash it. it actually attaches to your mattress like a fitted sheet, so no worries on it (or you) sliding off the bed. it's lux for only $150 for a king size, not counting the 20% off coupons that you get every 20 minutes. pop one on your mattress and enjoy some serious bed time comfort. oh - and tell clooney i say hello.

kick it into neutral

i'm not one to throw splashy nails colors around. i generally stay in the sheer white, really dark, or really deep red categories. you won't see a coral or pink or green or some other rainbow shade on these hands or toes. so i'm always intrigued when i can find a new color to add to my very short list of permissible shades. enter OPI (of course). on a recent trip to the mani/pedi place, i came across two neutrals, but ones that sill have some color. i have been loving them ever since. the one featured left is "over the taupe" and is on my hands as we speak (well, we're not really speaking are we, but just go with it). it's dark enough to have some impact (but not as dark as the black or deep earthy browns i usually go with) and neutral enough to not clash with whatever you're wearing. it's darker and yet still neutral brother is "you don't know jacques" and is gracing my toes. i think it would also work really well on hands, too. so branch out this new years and try something right in the middle. you'll be amazed how comfortable it is here.

underneath the mistletoe

a friend once told me that my blog was only about lip gloss and t-shirts. to which i replied, "yes. only the important things." so here's a lip gloss entry for your christmas enjoyment. sue devitt is an australian make-up artist and has created an amazing line of makeup. her lip glosses (no surprise) are my favorite. the colors in the mini lip gloss line are all pretty perfect: sheer with a hint of shimmer. though, fire island is by far at the very top of my list - an amazing sheer/shimmery bronze color that makes your lips the envy or desire of everyone around. plus the "mini" means that it fits in your pocket or small evening bag with no trouble. available on-line at bloomingdales or www.suedevittbeauty.com (you can also find a store on her website). $18.00 may be a bit steep, but they do last forever and really, who can put a price limit on a great lip gloss? not me!! pucker up!

say hello to my litte friend

it's christmas time - how do i know this? because it's after thanksgiving and not before it or even before halloween. yes. christmas comes after you've celebrated thanksgiving. so right about now you should be stock piling presents and thinking about when you're going to set aside 7 hours to wrap them all. let me introduce you to your new best friend. yes. i mean this $1.59 letter opener you should go out and buy at office depo. hear me out. this thing is the best paper slicer you've ever not yet owned. it will cut through your christmas wrapping paper - even the heavy duty kind that is really nice and you should be buying. it will let you do this with very little if any effort and will make the marathon wrapping session that much faster. which is why it kicks your old trusty scissors ass. so splurge a little on yourself this christmas and let this letter opener do some of the work for you. think of it as your own personal elf.

if i could turn back time

i'm not one to shell out big bucks for face care stuff. i'll scour the lesser expensive brands before i'll put down major cash for face stuff. but... (you knew there was a but coming, right?) i finally broke down and put up some money for SkinCeuticals phloretin CF. as someone who has pretty good skin, but has hyper pigmentation and is beginning to show some crow's feet/laugh lines, i was looking for something to brighten and smooth out my skin. i was leery of the claims of greatness from this product, but a wonderful girl at a local retailer gave me a sample. HELLO! miracles do happen. after only one week of using the serum, i noticed a change - smoother complexion, hyper pigmentation is lighter, and the crow's feet/laugh lines are less noticeable. i even got compliments on how great my skin looked. i do not lie. it's been about three weeks now and the results keep on improving. fountain of youth? probably not. but this stuff can at least erase some of those late nights dancing on tables in bars. if you did that sort of thing. available at www.skinceuticals.com as well as local merchants (check the web-site for retailers and then ask for a sample to try out). retails for $152.00, but i found it cheaper on amazon (of course).

i'm late, i'm late, for a very important date...

it's that time of year again. no.... not christmas present time. though that is racing up fast to greet you. i meant the time of year when you're probably looking for a 2011 calendar to replace the quickly dwindling pages of your 2010 one. look no further. kate spade (of course) answers the call with her 2011 spiral desktop calendar. only $20 and gives what i think is the perfect mix of space, cuteness, and extras. this one has the month view (which i can't live without) as well as a page for notes for each month, a section for addresses you may need to jot down, and pages set aside for general notes and doodles. plus its light weight and styled with her usual witty set-up. affordable, stylish, and organized all in one package; you've got no excuses for not having 2011 all planned. now, onto those christmas presents...