Sunday, March 30, 2014

Favorite Findings March 2014

Welcome to Favorite Findings for March! It's no secret that March was a very difficult month for me. Most of you know that I lost my mother who meant the world to me. Since I spent the majority of the month in the hospital with my family, I didn’t focus on beauty products. Instead of halfheartedly listing a small group of products that didn’t really mean much to me, I would like to share the lessons my Mom taught me. I think all of us can benefit from them.



1. Everyone should embrace their own beauty.
Everyone is beautiful. We should love and embrace our own beauty and the beauty of others. Beauty is more than just a person’s looks. Beauty can be found in how they love, how they live and how they treat other people. Beauty can be found in how a person embraces life.

My Mom (left) and friend 1964. She felt like a wall flower. She never felt beautiful; but she lived beautifully.
My Mom (left) Barbara and friend in 1964. My Mom felt like a wallflower. She never felt beautiful; but, she lived life beautifully. 


2. Never be afraid to accept a challenge.
Sometimes we are offered opportunities which don’t seem quite right for us. Even though we think something is too big or too great for us sometimes, we should just need to tackle it head on. You never know what great things you might find when you stretch yourself.

My Dad, Arnold, found the love of his life on a blind date.
My Mom, Barbara, was double dog dared to go on a blind date with my dad.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 










My Mom didn't want to go; but, she was double dog dared to go on a blind date with my dad, Arnold, who became the love of her life with whom she would spend the next 50 years.
 

3. The secret to a long marriage is respect.
Don’t allow your familiarity with someone to allow you to the opportunity to forget your manners. Saying please and thank you can go a long way to preserving those feelings of fondness for each other. Never speak words that you’ll regret; because, you can’t take them back. Speak with kindness in your heart.

My Parents on Their Wedding Day. After almost 50 years, they never spoke angry words to each other.
My parents on their wedding day. Although they fell short of their 50 year wedding anniversary, they loved each other to bits and never argued or spoke harshly to each other.


4. You can’t change your family.
In spite of their short comings your family will always be your family. Don’t let petty disagreements come in between you as life is too short and can end suddenly. Just love and embrace each other for who they are, faults and all.

My family accepts each other faults and all. We refuse to allow disagreements to separate us.

My family in the late 1970s (I'm on the left) even though we disagreed about a lot of things we learned to always come back together and work things out. 


5. Find happiness in the little things.
Life if full of obstacles; but, how you handle those obstacles determines the nature of a man’s character. Never allow those obstacles bring you down. Put on your dancing shoes and embrace the joy in the challenges.

My father, Arnold, in the '80s just being happy to be on a picnic with his family.My father, Arnold, in 1958 attending a high school dance.















My parents believed in being goofy and being happy. (Left) My father at a school dance in 1958. (Right) My father in the mid 80s at a family picnic. Yes, my dad is happy about eating off the hood of a car; because he was surrounded by his family! 


6. Don’t let rifts cause an irreparable damage to a relationship. 
Two people cannot love each other for long without discovering several things upon which they disagree. Do not allow those differences to dictate the course of your relationship. Agree to disagree and find a way to move on.

My sister and myself (right). I was really angry about something silly.
My sister and I in the mid 70s. I was certainly pissed about something and she doesn't seem to be concerned about it. I got over whatever was bugging me. 


7. Never lose your sense of adventure. 
It would be simple to allow our lives to become centered around what we are most comfortable with. Never be afraid to try new things, go new places and meet new people. This world is so much bigger than us. Enjoy it and all it has to offer.

My parents in Japan in 1967.
My mother left small town Arkansas to go with my dad to the ends of the Earth as an Air Force wife, seen here in Japan in 1967.


8. Don’t allow a less than flattering moment define you.
All of us have shortcomings and faults. None of us are any better or any worse than others. We are all humans, we are all flawed. Embrace that we are all searching for our best and all of us fall short. Don’t allow those moments to define our feelings for ourselves or others. Forgive and move forward.

Me in 1969 looking like that fat one from Laurel and Hardy.Obviously, not the most attractive picture of me. I look just like the fat one from Laurel and Hardy and I had a runny nose.


9. Never completely close doors.
Leave every situation and person with love. When you leave something or someone on bad terms; you may find that you need to go back to correct the situation. Instead of letting time to allow small things to work themselves into big things just make it right before you walk away. Negative feelings can eat away at a person.

Myself, my cousin and my sister. We reconnected after years of having no contact.
Myself, my cousin, Stephen, and my Sister, Tammy. We lost touch with my cousin for many years; but, have recently come back into contact with each other. I realize now how much I missed him!



10. Bad things happen to really good people.
Sometimes bad things just happen. Feel the hurt, embrace the pain and then find a way to move on. Don’t get stuck in the pain. Use the pain to find compassion for others.

My brother, Timmy, who only lived 10 days. I don't know how my mother at 23 dealt with such pain.
My sweet brother, Timmy, lived only 10 short days. He was born and passed before I had come into being but I have always felt his presence was with me.


11. Never stop having faith in good things to come.
No matter how bad things can seem right now, good things are right around the corner. Just hang in and hang on. Things will get better. Keeping faith that brighter days are to come can help you get through the dark times. Blessings are the sweetest when they follow heartaches.


My Mom and me. Giving birth to me helped her heal after losing my brother.
I can't imagine the pain of losing a child. My birth gave my mom something beautiful to look forward to and to keep her life moving in a positive direction. She didn't stay stuck in her pain.


12. Never go to bed or leave on bad terms.
Life is much too short. Do not leave those you love with negative words. You never know when they, or you, could be gone. Do not leave yourself open to that kind of regret. Speak your “I’m sorry” and “I love you” to those that matter in your life.

My parents on the longest yard sale, she wasn't doing it his way. They never went to bed mad at each other.
Although, they obviously got irritated with each other my parents never spoke harsh words to each other or went to bed angry with each other. They would lie in bed and talk through the days problems each and every day.



13. Embrace life no matter what you have.

There will always be those with more than you and those with less than you. Someone will always be better off and someone will always be worse off than you. Don’t measure yourself against anyone else. Just be happy with where you are and what you have while striving to be the best possible version of yourself.


My uncle, Jim, My Dad, and my uncle Dwight









Although, both of my parents grew up in poor families that had little; they were both blessed that the love they had was great. That was the greatest gift they gave their children.


These lessons were all things my Mom embraced and passed on to me. She was a beautiful woman with an insanely generous heart. She was a loving wife and mother who loved her family with all her heart. I was blessed to have her as my mother and I will miss her more than words can speak. I was a very rebellious teenager and gave my parents many challenges. I am proud to say that I sought their forgiveness and my mother forgave me with an open heart and open arms. In recent years, she was my best friend and I called her whenever anything good or anything bad happened to me. She was my biggest advocate and my greatest hero. She taught me how to be a patient with myself while coping with illness. She is now with my brother, Heaven got another Angel. Even though she’s no longer with me here, she will always be with me. My life is a shining example of her love and passion.




If you would like to read more about my mother her short biography can be found HERE. She was a fascinating women, who lived a brave life. I wish I could bottle some of my mother’s essence and give it to every person who has faced loss or challenges. She was the bravest person I know. 

I need to send a large word of thanks to the staff at St Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. They took such great care of my Mom while she was there. Her doctors were amazing at doing everything they could for my Mom. I wish I could go back and hug every single nurse that helped my Mom. They helped my Mom be as comfortable as possible while in the hospital. They took care of her from such a place of love and compassion. I need to thank all of my friends and family that brought us meals both while in the hospital and after her passing. The meals gave us a sense of comfort that can only come from being content with good food and great company. To several of my blogger friends that gave me comfort and support while I was coping with this situation, I would like to send all of you a virtual hug! The interactions I had with you gave me a reason to smile when I couldn't find anything to smile about. I could log on to my computer and forget my troubles for just a moment. Thank you for being who you are. I can never repay the kindness you've shown; but, please know that I was touched to the very core of my being. To the two lovelies, who sent me beautiful tokens of love I openly wept over both. To know that I have beautiful women that have never met me; but, love me as if I were their friend or neighbor just reminded me that other people are as amazing as my Mom. Thanks for allowing her spirit to live on in your actions. My cup runneth over. 



















Saturday, March 22, 2014

Sunday Scores and Steals 3/23/14 - 3/29/14

Welcome to another edition of Sunday Scores and Steals. While I outline the best beauty sales at CVS Brittnee from Beauty Product A Day advises you of some of the best sales at the beauty stores. We would love to see your hauls too.


Per the Sunday Coupon Preview we are getting 2 inserts, Red Plum and Smart Source, in the Sunday paper. So stock up on those papers. I will be buying my usual 4 papers.

While Mom was still in the hospital I had begun my post for this week. I did not get the post finished by I thought I would share what I had. 

Abbreviation Key:
$1/1 - $1.00 off 1 item coupon
$3/2 - $3.00 off 2 items coupon
2/$8 - 2 items for $8.00 purchase
PG - Proctor and Gamble coupon insert in Sunday paper preceded by distribution date, i.e. 1/26/14PG
RP - Red Plum insert in Sunday paper preceded by distribution date, i.e. 2/9/14RP
SS - Smart Source insert in Sunday paper preceded by distribution date, i.e. 2/2/14SS
BOGO - Buy One Get One Free
BOG50% or BOG50 - Buy One Get 50% off the second
MQ - Manufacturer's Coupon
CVSQ - CVS Coupon - In Store Coupon Center
ECB - Extra Care Bucks issued for specific amount off a future transaction
OOP - Out of Pocket
wyb - when you buy


Cosmetics
Maybelline - Lip, Nail or Eye
$3 ECB wyb $10

CoverGirl - Cosmetics$3 ECB wyb $10

$1.00 off ONE COVERGIRL truBLEND Foundation
$0.75 off ONE COVERGIRL truMAGIC Product
$0.75 off ONE COVERGIRL Lip Product
$1.00 off ONE COVERGIRL Bombshell Eye Product
$0.50 off ONE COVERGIRL Nail Product

Neutrogena - Cosmetics or Cleansing
$7 ECB wyb $20
*excludes acne wipes, bar soap, trial/travel, wave device and clearance

Physicians Formula - Cosmetics
Save $5

Revlon - Cosmetics
BOG50%
$2.00 off Revlon Age Defying Cosmetic products
Milani - Cosmetics
BOG50%

Almay - Cosmetics
BOG50%

Wet n Wild - Cosmetics
BOG50%

Nuance by Salma Hayek - Cosmetics 
BOG50%

Other Coupons Available:

$1.00 off any Kiss or Broadway Nails Product

Facial Care

Neutrogena - Cleansing and Cosmetics
$7ECB wyb $20
*excludes acne wipes, bar soap, trial/travel, wave device and clearance

CVS - Facial Care, Hair Care, Personal Cleansing, Shaving Items, Deodorant, Oral Care, Sun Care, Hand and Body Lotion
$3 ECB wyb $10

Lumene, Dickinson's Witch Hazel - Skin Care BOG50%

Aveeno - Facial Care, Personal Cleansing, Hair Care, Sun Care, Hand/Body Lotion
BOG50%
*excludes Men's, Baby and eczema

Simple - Facial Care
BOG50%

RoC - Skin Care
BOG50%
$1.00 off any ONE Garnier Clean+ Cleanser$3.00 off any RoC anti-aging product














$1.00 off any ONE (1) Full Size Sebamed Product
$2.00 off L'Oreal Revitalift or Youth Code
$1.50 off any gud product


Hair Care

Nexxus - Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler
$10 ECB wyb $20

Pantene Expert, Fekkai, Toni & Guy - Hair Care
$10 ECB wyb $30

Revlon - ColorSilk or Buttercream Hair Color
BOG50% 

L'Oreal - Advanced Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler
Sale 3/$12

Herbal Essences or Aussie - Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler
Sale 2/$6
*excludes Herbal Shine collection

Vidal Sassoon, Old Spice, Herbal Classic or Naked - Shampoo, Conditioner or Styler
Sale 2/$8

Axe -
 Shower gel, Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Spray or Antiperspirant/Deodorant
Sale 2/$9


$2.00 off any L'Oreal Paris Preference Hair Color
$1.00 off GARNIER FRUCTIS Shampoo & Conditioner
$2.00 off Pantene Expert Hair Regrowth Treatment
$1.50 off one Suave Natural Infusions product
$2.00 off TRESemme 7 Day Keratin Smooth Product


Friday, March 21, 2014

There Are No Words

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to dayNothing gold can stay.
~Robert Frost


It's with an extremely heavy heart that I explain that yesterday my Mom left us to be fulfill her new role as angel watching over us. While she was continuing to take baby steps on her path to healing, she was experiencing greater problems than anyone could possibly know. They made every attempt to save her but her home in Heaven was calling. 


Mo, 

I love you more than words can say. Thank you for being my mom. You are the source of everything sweet and gentle within me. You have always been this quiet powerhouse in my life guiding me to do my best. Thank you for showing me how to face challenges fearlessly. You are and always will be my Northern Star where I can always reset my internal compass. I miss you.

Love You Great Big Bunches,
Jo 


L’Oreal Infallible Shadows

 

Welcome to my happy little place on the world wide web where I talk about pretty things that enjoy. Feeling pretty helps me feel good. This is vital when trying to maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity. Today I want to share with you the L’Oreal 24 Hour Infallible Eye Shadow. Why do they feel the need to make that 24 hour claim? No one should be wearing makeup for 24 hours. So why bother? Be forewarned this post is picture heavy.

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I love the formula of these shadows. Mainly because they are so creamy and metallic. They are easy to apply and easy to wear. When placed over a good primer these shadows will not budge. The interesting thing is that different application methods will garner different results. If you apply it with a brush you will get a beautifully blendable but less metallic look. A sponge tipped applicator will provide a smoother finish and a shinier finish. To achieve the most metallic finish use your finger. The finish will be smoothest and most metallic when rubbed with your finger.

I will take you through my collection starting with the neutrals first.

L'Oreal Infallible Iced Latte

This could be my favorite of the bunch. Iced Latte is a golden champagne shade which looks great on the inner tear duct or as a shimmery browbone highlight. It also works great on the cupid’s bow and can be used in the center of the bottom lip to accentuate a pouty lip.

L'Oreal Infallible Amber Rush

Amber Rush tends to be one of the most highly discussed of the range as it’s a lovely rose gold shade. It reminds me most of the MAC pigment in Tan. This shade has a beautiful metallic quality to it. I enjoy this shade but I find that I reach for my Flower cream shadow in Wild Geranium more. You can find my comparison post between the two HERE.

L'Oreal Infallible Bronzed Taupe

Next is the shade Bronzed Taupe. This is a lovely mid-range brown with a beautiful shine to it which reminds me a lot of the MAC shadow in Woodwinked which happens to be among my favorite. This shade would look great on a broad range of skin tones. This shade doesn’t get enough recognition if you ask me.

L'Oreal Infallible Bottomless Java

When I first bought Bottomless Java, I wondered what on earth I was going to with it. I have sense learned that there are plenty of wonderful things to do with it. It looks absolutely amazing in the crease. It makes an amazing brown smoky eye. It looks fantastic smudged on the lower lash line. I have come to really enjoy this one.

L'Oreal Infallible Iced Latte, Amber Rush, Bronzed Taupe and Bottomless Java

These four shades, Iced Latte, Amber Rush, Bronzed Taupe and Bottomless Java, get a lot of love. They are absolutely beautiful and work well with each other or with other shadows.

L'Oreal Infallible Silver Sky

Silver Sky is a true shiny silver that adds absolutely brilliant sparkle. This makes a gorgeous inner corner highlight, especially with a deep smoky eye. I love wearing this on the inner third and placing a bright turquoise on the outer two-thirds and deepening the crease with a deep navy.

L'Oreal Infallible Liquid Diamond

While Silvery Sky is a true shiny silver, Liquid Diamond is a cement or taupe gray. I am quite fond of pairing this with a deep matte purple in the outer corner and crease. This is shade contains the least sparkle of all the Infallibles in my collection. This is definitely the office friendly version of Silver Sky.

L'Oreal Infallible Golden Emerald

Golden Emerald describes this shade perfectly. It’s a gorgeous deep emerald shade with beautiful flecks of gold running through it. This is the perfect shade for a deep smoky green that plays off my green eyes quite nicely. I have found myself enjoying this delightful shade.

L'Oreal Infallible Silver Sky, Liquid Diamond, Golden Emerald

These three shades, Silver Sky, Liquid Diamond and Golden Emerald, probably get the least amount of love in my collection but I am absolutely crazy about all three of them. This photo does not do the justice to the sparkle and shine of Silver Sky. It is absolutely mesmerizing.

L'Oreal Infallible Always Pearly Pink

Always Pearly Pink is that barely there baby pink that works well with bronzes and purples. This shade makes for a more subtle brow bone and inner corner highlight. It also makes for a lovely above the crease blending shade if you are looking for something with some sparkle and shine.

L'Oreal Infallible Burst Into Bloom

Burst into Bloom is a gorgeous pinkish lavender that has a slight duo-chrome property to it. This color makes for an incredible single shadow look or it can be paired with several other colors to create some amazing looks. It also makes for an incredible pop of color along the lower lash line.

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Glistening Garnet is an amazing burnt cranberry color. While it has a little less shine than Burst Into Bloom it can add a beautiful warmth to cooler eye looks. This shade blends works well with both purples and browns.

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I love these three shades, Always Pearly Pink, Burst Into Bloom and Glistening Garnet, as they can add a lovely pop of color to an otherwise neutral look. These get reached for quite a bit when I am looking to add a bit of color.

There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty. ~Steve Maraboli