It’s a Party, and I Can Cry Because I’ll Have Waterproof Mascara

Quick confession: I used to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics™. The judging stops NOW!

Moving on. A friend of mine has invited me to a Mary Kay party. It has been roughly ten years since I have been to one, much less used their stuff. That doesn’t mean I don’t own some still, though mostly perfumey stuff. Usually I dread going to these parties because I have awful skin, and usually buy into the hope that this time I will find something that will make my skin look perfect and flawless. That is silly, of course, but I can still hope. Prayer doesn’t hurt, either.

Surprisingly, I am looking forward to it. I have come to the realization that I am a homebody. I don’t go out much, and when I do, I tend to come home early because of the kids. I do my chores around the house in total silence, forgetting about the radio or the CD player, and sometimes feel like I’m in a tomb, at least until Little One comes home and watches Disney Channel. I need to get out more, and make new friends, and if that entails going to a make-up party and buying something that guarantees to take years off your face, I will do it!

I just hope that stuff isn’t botox 😉

The Dress is Here!!

And it’s beautiful!

And MAROON!!! Ok, burgundy is the “official” color.

Yes, I will wear it and have photographs done, before passing it on to someone who I’m sure will make the dress look even more beautiful. Eldest tried it on, and now she wants one. One she can also give to a girl who needs a red dress.

I am so blessed to have such great kidlets 🙂

I Need an Intervention, or More Space in My Closet

So y’all are familiar with my quest for the perfect tote bag, and how it happened that Vera Bradley finally had a print that I really, really like. Well, I didn’t just buy the tote. I had to buy the stuff that matches, too. And they also had another print I liked, one that was more… autumn. Anyway, now that I have acquired my tote bags and purse and stuff, I have to make room for them in my closet, which means I have to get rid of the stuff I don’t use.

Last night I started to clean out the “purse stockpile”. Now, I am not one to buy purses just because they are pretty and have a fun print or it’s on sale. Ok, maybe the “on sale” bit is true. But I did go through a period where I was looking for the “right” purse. My sister has a really nice one that looks like a tote bag (heh!), one I gifted her (double heh!), but one that would be way too big for me. As I took stock of my purses, I noticed that they were all roughly the same size, and same color: small to mid-size, and shades of brown. Brown goes with everything, see? So does black, but I only have one, and it’s an evening bag. Go figure.

Now, I have made a rule for myself: for everything I buy, two things of equal volume and/or mass have to go out*. Hubby can’t stand having a lot of “stuff” in the house, so this rule will help with the clutter. I wanted to count furniture in that rule, but our furniture he likes, so that’s out. But pretty much knick knacks and sundry is fair game. This Spring will sure be fun….

*Except fashion jewelry. That’s on a one-to-one ratio 😉

On Regretting

I must say, I have very few regrets. I am very lucky in that regard. All that said, I do have some, and sometimes they surface, making me ask the inevitable, What if…?

I remember in college my Anthropology professor offered me the chance to be her student assistant during her sabbatical to Mali. I was excited, because that position was usually reserved for graduate students, and I was only a junior in college. That position could mean a slot in the graduate program (which at the time was very difficult to get). But after enjoying the accolades from fellow students, I realized I could never go. My parents were paying for part of my schooling, and my sister’s as well. The money I was earning was barely able to pay for food and incidentals, so I couldn’t save up for the flight and the expenses, since the position was that of an unpaid intern. So, I turned it down, knowing that I was passing up a huge opportunity, but also knowing the timing was not good. Years later, talking with my dad about that, he looked at me as if I had grown another head, and asked me why in the world I didn’t ask. In retrospect, it was fear that kept me from asking. Fear of being told “No”. My dad being a very smart man, told me that not only should I never be afraid of the word “No”, I should also not be afraid of accepting it, or rejecting it.

I used to regret not having gone to Mali. But I am glad that I have learned to regret the things I’ve done, rather than the ones I didn’t get to do, like dyeing my hair a chocolate cherry color.

Now, there’s a regret about which I laugh!!

Southern Cross

I used to do cross-stitching a long time ago. In fact, I still have several projects going.

Projects that have been years in the making.

As much as I like doing scrapbooking and altered art, I think it’s time I got back into cross-stitching. It’s something I can do while sitting with the kids, and let’s face it: the mess is minimal. Besides, Hubby bought me a ton of embroidery floss and it’s a shame to see it sitting at the bottom of the closet, a riot of color peeking up accusingly at me every time I go in to get paper or glue.

That is the alphabet, designed from a sketch Hubby made waaaaay back in 1988, while in college. You will notice the date I finished it. I’m a bit slow, but hopefully I will get the rest of the projects done this year.

I just need to not start any new ones 😉

That Sound? That Was The Grey

This morning found me sleeping in well past the time I usually get up, though I did manage to let the dog out at 6 AM and crawl back to bed. I didn’t have much of a quiet time as usual, but I figured the kids wouldn’t be very loud anyway. Which was nice, because at least I got to enjoy part of my day, before Little One and Eldest ruined it for me.

Me: (holding Little One on my lap) I remember when you were a baby, so adorable.

Little One: No you don’t.

Me: Yes, I do!

Little One: No, your memory is not that great…

Eldest: Oh, c’mon! Mom’s like, 50 years old. She’s entitled to not have a great memory.

Me: …..

Girls: (laughing and giggling).

From this day forward, Son is my favorite. At least until such time as he screws up like his sisters did 😉

Have Tote, Will Travel

I have been on the lookout for the perfect tote bag for about ….. 22 years. Most women look at a tote and think, “Oh, I like the (fill in the blank here)”, and are done with it.

Not me. The prettiness is secondary to the functionality. It must have three pockets. It must be just wide enough for a laptop. It must have a 12 inch drop, no more, no less. It must be east-west (wider than taller). It must accommodate schoolbooks (in case one of the girls needs it).

And I think I have found it!

I have resisted Vera Bradley for a long time, mostly because their patterns are a bit too busy for me. But they just came out with a pattern that screamed my name.

It’s called Camellia, which is 1) one of my favorite flowers, and 2) one of my favorite names. And black?? With slate blue accenting?? The only thing missing is me, at the store. So I’m going Yorling™ today, and before Hubby freaks out, don’t worry. I am getting rid of a lot of crap in my closet to compensate 😀

Chatty Sithy

In what has been a rude awakening for me, it has been brought to my attention that I tend to talk a lot.

ME!!

And lest you think it was done in a subtle manner, by a well-meaning friend, it wasn’t. It was my mom, and it was done out of tough love.

This past Thanksgiving, I drove down to my folks to pick them up so they could spend the holiday with my sister’s family and mine. I live five houses down from my sister, so it’s more convenient to bring up my folks than to caravan down to their place. Also, they get to enjoy the holiday, instead of my mom cooking and cleaning for twenty people. On the drive back from their home, I kept up what I thought was an intelligent conversation about the happenings with the kids, changes in Hubby’s schedule, my new vehicle, etc., when suddenly, my mom pipes up:

Mom: My goodness, (Aggie)! You just don’t shut up!

Me: Wha…??

Mom: You have been talking non-stop since we left the house!

Me: Well, I have a lot to say, mom.

Mom: Why?

Me: Because I don’t get to talk to anyone!!

Mom: But you never talked much growing up…

Me: That’s because my sisters never let me.

Mom: Hm…that’s true.

So yes, I do talk a lot. I make no excuses for it. I am simply trying to catch up after 35 years of being a relatively quiet person. And now that I have a blog, I can type as much as I want! 😉

No Coal For YOU!

Well, it’s that time of year again. The time when people everywhere are scrambling around to get their Christmas gift shopping done before the inevitable “What did you get me??” moment sets in. There is nothing attractive about someone with a deer-in-the-headlights look on their face. Especially when it’s your significant other who should know better by now.

Moving on (before a tirade sets in), here is a gift guide for the holiday that will hopefully make things easy….well, easier….ok, not get anyone in trouble.

As a general rule, women hate getting clothing for Christmas, unless they get to pick it out themselves. Sometimes our significant others tend to buy the wrong size. This is a losing situation for them: too small, and we cry about needing a bigger size, or too big, and we cry because they think we are fat. But PJs are different!! The only thing men have to remember is what kind to get. Trust me, you do not want to get a hankie with straps at Victoria’s Secret when your beloved prefers 7 oz weight flannel.

Or vice versa.

Anyway, you can’t go wrong with a PajamaGram. They have beautiful PJs in different styles, and all of them come in a sweet hatbox. You can even have the PJs personalized.

Comfy and cute! And warm…very warm!! And you can wear these all day. Total win!!

Another good gift to give is the gift of scent. Trust me when I say that a woman is more apt to be impressed by a bottle of perfume than by a car deodorizer, ok? However, a man can’t just pick something willy-nilly and think he’s going to get kudos. Tresór by Lancôme may be the second best selling perfume in the world, but that doesn’t mean it will smell like it on her skin. Perusing her vanity table and paying attention to what she wears is crucial here. If that isn’t a possibility, then go out of this world to get her something special!

Zen perfume was synthesized from the scent of roses that were sent up to the space station. Turns out, the scent of roses change when in zero gravity. Yes, I want to grow roses in zero gravity now. What??

Of course, some of y’all will just be too terrified about picking the wrong thing, be it clothing or perfume. In this case I say, go for the bling. Jewelry never fails, as long as it’s not a gangster emblem hanging from a huge chain. That’s just tacky. Necklaces and bracelets are always a safe bet, because you don’t need to know sizes for rings, or if she has pierced ears (you should know these things by now, but I will cut you some slack here). A very popular trend right now is the charm bracelet. Some, like Pandora™ and Trollbeads™, tend to be very pricey, but there are other options that are more affordable, like Brighton. They have a huge selection of charms, which makes making a unique personalized bracelet very easy.

Just remember to pay attention to her favorite things, and you can’t go wrong!

Hope you enjoyed shopping with Aggie. The next installment will be Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Also known as Valentine’s Day 😉

To Bling, or Not to Bling

Every year Hubby’s work has a holiday ball. We attend, mostly because it’s the only night of the year when we can get all dressed up. This year I was not attending obviously, and very glad that I didn’t have to hunt for yet another evening gown, when my friend, whose hubby doesn’t care to go, decided on a fabulous idea: our “circle” of wives gets together, dressed to the nines, for an evening out on the town. We are talking limousine and champagne here, people!

So the question is, do I wear bling? So many gilded lilies can make people blind, you know 😉