The Tale Of Liam the Lion

OMGit'slikeI'mblinkingandmybabyisn'tsuchababyanymore!

Another birthday has come and gone. Join us in a celebration of the Tale of Liam the Lion set to his "alltimemostfavoritestsongEVER!" (Yeah, I know it's a creepy song. But let's remember, this is the 6 yr old that asked for Paris as his birthday present. It's kind of to be expected at this point.)

Happy Birthday little man!

Music: Muse, Knights of Cydonia, WM UK, 2006 

It's Like Cotton Candy

I've been out and about and up to all kinds of things. To catch everyone up just a touch, I'll take a  quote from one of my ex-neighbors, "I done did get my hair done y'all."

There's blonde underneath. It's that blissfully white light blonde that's always reminded me of spun sugar (the kind that's not pink.) 

I've always been a fan of trying new stuff with my hair. The other day, Laura took the plunge to green and she looks fabulous! As a shout out to her, I have to share a photo of a gem I discovered on one of my adventures.

 (They're all waiting for you Laura!)

 It was so tempting to join her with her green hair but my sallow skin can't carry that. Maybe I'll try something close and go a bit more blue when I get tired of this.

So, I have to ask if you guys like what you can see of my hair? I also want to know what your wildest hair experiments have been. If you send me pictures, I'll happily do a post on my readers and their best/craziest/coolest hair styles!

Holy Freakin' Yum Y'all

I found myself in Poole the other day having an AH-may-ZING lunch at R's Kitchen. 

 

Mushroom and holloumi on brioche with a gravy that will blow your mind. I have a slight addiction problem when it coms to mushroom and holloumi. If it's on the menu, I have to try it. This one at R's Kitchen is right up at the top of the charts for me.

Apple cake with fresh cream. I couldn't have asked for a better way to cap off this lunch.

I would happily recommend this place for anyone that finds themselves in the Poole area. Have any of you tried any tasty mushroom and halloumi dishes lately? If so, spill the beans!

Lipstick Parenting

My love of all things beauty related goes way back. I was one of those girls who combed through all the big women's magazines searching for the latest and greatest looks, miracle products, and special "it" products that would make me look my dazzling best. I somehow managed to stretch my morning ritual to an hour and a half (and that was on a good speedy day), to get ready for school.

And then one day, I graduated, moved out, got married and started popping out babies. As I had each kid, I spent less and less time putting on make up, taking care of my skin, or pampering my hair and nails. As my children have slowly gotten older and gained more independence, I'm slowly wading back into beauty/make-up land. I realized that somehow, parenting had sucked enough "me" out of the picture that it left me without a single lipstick or lip gloss. I don't even know how this happened people. That discovery left me dazed and confused until I found myself in the make-up department of a large store. I was so excited I was practically foaming at the mouth as I looked for the perfect versatile day to day lipstick and gloss. Forgive the cruddy lighting here. I'm figuring this out as I go. Consider this a lesson learned - bathroom mirrors and cell phones don't necessarily give the greatest pictures!

 

There's the final poorly lit result. I'm wearing Mac's fast play and Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss 436 Capeline Abricot. 

 Mac's Fast Play goes on very matte and dry. For me the positive to this is how long it seems to stay in place. It doesn't end up leaving a lipstick ring around my lips while the rest of it wears off. I hate that. If I want it to go on a bit smoother I pop on a little chap stick before hand but it's definitely not as long wearing if I do that. 

DiorAddict's Ultra-Gloss 436 is interesting. I love it's sheerness and a little bit goes a really long way. It makes me feel like I'm getting more value out of it than I expected. There's a really lovely gold shimmer to it that my camera phone just couldn't capture. Plus, it smells a bit like bubble gum to me.

My final better lighting shot for you guys.

Who knew parenting could have such a debilitating effect on my lipstick or my make-up bag in general? What I really want to know is what are your favorite go-to daily lipsticks?

From A Low To High

Would you guys believe I've had this piece ready to go for weeks? When I post, I like to include some sort of cute, relevant, or awesome image. Nothing I worked on really made me smile though so I threw together that thing on top. Now we can all pretend to be totally amazed at my artistic talent and meaningful insight to the topic. :D

Did you guys hear about the investigation into retail therapy done by Selin Atalay and Margaret Meloy? With the help of three different studies* they concluded that "retail therapy generally works, that people deploy the practice strategically, rather than impulsively, and that there are few if any negative emotional side-effects."

Personally, I aim for a minimalist approach to my closet. I'm limited on space and can catch myself up in buyer's remorse if I purchase something I don't absolutely love. However, I love fashion. And I love shopping. It's a tricky mix for me to balance.

If I find myself bringing in new items I automatically make myself take a look at my wardrobe and get rid of anything I've held onto for too long. If I haven't worn something for a long time (more than 6 months to a year) and it's in good condition, it's usually in the charity bag. If something's not in good condition I set it to the side and see just how much I come up with. I only need so many "painting" clothes or scrubby stuff to wear for DIY projects.

I have definitely noticed a lift in my mood after buying something new. I will even say:

 "Hi, my name is Rachel and shopping is my happy drug." 

How about you? Do you notice a shopping "high" when you're feeling low? 

*Atalay, A., and Meloy, M. (2011). Retail therapy: A strategic effort to improve mood. Psychology and Marketing, 28 (6), 638-659 DOI:10.1002/mar.20404