Bright Eyes

It's been awhile since I've talked about make-up, though I enjoy experimenting with new looks all the time.  Insomnia, stress, grief, hormonal fluctuations, etc. have taken a toll on my face in recent weeks, but I am delighted with the results of "the Bright Eye," which has been popular in commercials and on the red carpet recently.  

I always start off with an all over dusting of a pale, neutral eye color as a base.  For this look, lightly line the bottom of your eye (on the outside), along the base of your eyelashes with a white eyeliner.  (In my experience, it is worth investing a few more dollars into a quality white eyeliner pencil.  The cheap ones are thick and crumbly, while a good eyeliner goes on smoothly.)  Blend it in gently - you don't want a clumpy or chalky, heavy line. 

Tip:  I avoid putting eyeliner on the insides of my eyelids to avoid irritation (tears and red eyes will ruin the look!)  Eye pencils and make-up tools can harbor lots of bacteria, so it's better to be safe than infected.  Besides, I think eyeliner on the inside of the lid makes eyes look smaller.

Next, I dipped my brush into shimmery white eyeshadow and tapped off the excess several times before sweeping it over my lids and over the eyeliner along the bottom of my eyes.  With a blending brush, I lightly went over the areas around my eyes to smooth and soften the effect.  Curled eyelashes, several coats of mascara, and black liquid eyeliner finished the eyes, and I chose a rose colored blush and lipstick for an overall softer look.  

Here's a funny face for you, since make-up posts can tend to be all about the ooh-la-la outcome.   

And see how well the "Bright Eye" holds up if the world suddenly goes black & white?!?   

The "Bright Eye" is a versatile and fresh look...try it!

Tip:  If you don't wear liquid eyeliner, you can line the top lid and/or apply a darker eyeshadow around the top base of your lashes.    

Don't forget about my Giveaway going on now through September 7th!

My First Giveaway!!!

What?  September 1st doesn't kick off the beginning of autumn???  Well, it does to me!  And I didn't even wait until today to pull out my autumn decor.    I started pulling things out of boxes, ummm.....a few weeks ago.  It's the Dollar Tree's fault.  They had their ceramic pumpkins out, and my darling children decided I had to have the new colors, so they each bought me one.  In order to not hurt their feelings, I (of course) had to set them out right away.      

Happy sigh.

These white ceramic pumpkins were quite the hot commodity last year, and I grabbed some up fresh off of the Dollar Tree shelf.  What they lack in cost, they make up for in character and cuteness and just the right touch for this season.  So, I'm going to give one of these away to one of you!    

All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post!  Additional entries if: 

• You follow me (hurray!)  Leave me a separate comment letting me know you are.
• You link to this giveaway (and please add my new button to your post!)  Leave me a separate comment that you did that, including the direct link to your post.  

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, September 7th!  I will e-mail the winner as well as announce it on here.  Please make sure you wither include your e-mail address or have it accessible on your blog so that I can get a hold of you!

Dream With Me...

There is just something about the shop pictured above that I just adore.

The stone exterior.  Vivid blue shutters.

Wood beams on the ceilings.

The pop of green on the inside.

Tile floor patterns.

It reminds of the months I spent in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

A charming city within a city,

the Old Town has a coliseum built in the 2nd Century

as well as Roman gates and walls.

In the city center, there are many cute shops

featuring Bulgarian designers.

One lady I met through my host made me 

a dress to wear at my wedding reception.

Dream with me for a moment,

that the shop in the picture is my own little boutique.

What would I feature?

Certainly, an eclectic assortment of vintage clothing,

one of a kind jewelry pieces made by artistic friends,

purses galore, and shoes.

Lots and lots of fun shoes.

These below are from my closet.

Never thought of myself as a "shoe girl"

but I tend to like interesting footwear.

At a steal.

These were purchased when I was on the hunt for black shoes 

to wear to my Mom's memorial service.  

I refused to get something safe and boring,

wanting to a) have shoes that I'd wear again 

and b) remember my Mom and her great sense of fashion and style.

They're surprisingly comfortable.  And were 1/3 the original price.

These shoes pay homage to my Mom's pointy-toed snakeskin heels

that started my fascination with funky fashion in the first place.

Tragic was the day my ten year old feet grew out of them.

But the vibrant orange soothes my wounded memory.

A delicate shoe for spring and summer,

acquired in the best way possible -

never worn and given to me!

Pointy-toes with a slight heel,

just waiting for an invitation to a garden party.

My First Giveaway...soon!!!

I picked up a special prize a few weeks ago but have been waiting until September 1st to host my first giveaway.  A hint:  it was a sought after, oft mentioned item last Autumn in the blogosphere.    

So, check back on September 1st, and the giveaway will be under way!

Buggin' Out!

Having a daughter who enjoys experimenting with various fashions and puts up with my whimsical creations is a delight!  I've made many types of floral headbands and barrettes for her but was bored with the same-old, same-old.


Then I saw them.  Bugs at the Dollar Store.  And a new idea was born.  

She wore the bumble bee with a yellow gingham dress, and it was darling!  And I adore the cheery green of the grasshopper.

Many of the floral accessories were featured here previously, except these two...

Little girls are precious, aren't they?  And truly a gift!

From My Mother...

One of my favorite pictures of my mother.

Pondering the very different relationships each of us kids had with her.

When I was ten, I was fascinated by two pairs of my mother's shoes.

Pointy-toed high heels made out of snakeskin.

I loved parading around the hallway, lost on an imaginary runway.

So stylish and cool.

My mother and I shared a love of fashion.

She gave me all of her custom made outfits from the late 60s and 70s,

like the suit in the picture above.

She also taught me about jewelry, 

the qualities of various stones and the importance of real gold. 

When I got ears my pierced, she bought me 18K gold earrings.

And she let me wear her star-sapphire earrings to school sometimes.

Birthday gifts usually included a beautiful new piece of jewelry,

a ring with my birthstone, necklaces, brooches.  

A gorgeous watch. 

My favorite photo of my mother and me.

Other things my mother bestowed to me... 

A love of big hair and big sunglasses.

An admiration of Sophia Loren.

(we swore we'd follow her glamizon example into old age),

Her dramatic flair - she was a professional dancer, 

studying traditional dance from the age of three.

(I've had my time on stage and have been in a few films and commercials.)
Black liquid eyeliner skills.
(when I was 16 and officially allowed to wear make-up, 
she gave me a kit and taught me how to properly apply everything.  
She used to give me a new make-up kit every Christmas.)

Ability to Organize and Schedule.

Creativity.

A strong voice and sensitive heart.

Compassion for those less fortunate.

Did I mention a short temper???

(Smile.) 

Saying Goodbye...

On July 16th, my mother went home to be with the Lord.  I was grateful to have been able to be with my family and to visit her for the two weeks prior to her passing.  Though she was pretty much in a coma during that time, she did open her eyes and squeeze my hands tightly one morning.  That was the most movement she showed.  

We had a Memorial Service for her a week later on July 23rd.  Though I'd like to share more about that at a later time, this is where I said my goodbyes to my mother.

One of my favorite memories is the afternoon I spent with my mother and my children here by the Lafayette River.  We sat under the shade of trees with a Japanese picnic lunch, enjoying the lovely view and cool breezes.  We must have been there for several hours.  It was a perfect day.