Thursday, December 13, 2012

Making It Pretty

Did you know I love Christmas? If you read my blog, then you probably answered YES!

I've been struggling with the issue of time and all the things I want to do, feel I need to do, and have to do. Take that normal feeling and throw in the part where I share custody of Marcus and Nate and it tends to feel like everything is jumbling together and there's no time for anything. 

Rewind to last night. I've been wanting to make Salt Dough Ornaments since I saw them on Pinterest. I wasn't sure how they'd turn out....half expecting this to be a pin-fail. I had three million things to do last night so almost put it off. But after running around and getting home around 7, I decided I could either A) make the ornaments or B) watch TV. (note: TV nearly won out)


So I mixed 1/2 cup of salt, 1 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup of water. Nate kneaded it for 7 to 10 minutes. 

Nate kneads the dough
 I then dug out the Christmas cookie cutters. I would have searched around for cute things to make patterns on each but I was still sort of expecting a pin-fail.

Nate cuts a Santa from the Salt Dough
 After cutting our shapes, making a hole to hang with ribbon, and decorating (notice the blobs of color - these came from food markers), we popped them in the oven at 250 degrees. My instructions said for two hours.
Our ornaments go in the oven
 At an hour and a half I was ready for bed and took them out early. Pleasantly surprised. They actually looked sort of pretty.
Our ornaments come out of the oven.
 I think before Christmas, we'll make these again with a little more enthusiasm. I think pine needles would leave neat impressions. I also think painting them after (instead of food markers) would work a little better. And lastly, I think mixing in some glitter to the dough could be nice additions. But not bad for something I expected to fail.

So since this blog is about making things pretty and celebrating the animal that is Pinterest. Let me tell you about the rest of my night. At 2 a.m. I was jolted awake by Nate who was coughing, at my bedroom door, telling me he felt really really bad. I got up, felt his forehead and sure enough....a fever. So I curled up at the foot of his twin size bed and fell half asleep. As you can imagine, sleep was fitful at best. I estimate roughly three hours of sleep.

Not good when today is a big day at work (ok, it's never good but today is one of those days I really can't call in sick and I really do have to make an appearance).

Here's my agenda ....7:30 take Marc to school, 8 a.m. arrive at a member business for a networking meeting with 30 other business people, 12 p.m. pose for photos with the parade trophy winners for the newspaper, 3 p.m. attend the end of the year board of directors meeting and 5 p.m. entertain approximately 200 people at my Annual Christmas Open House.

Now that you think I'm superwoman (ha, kidding!!)....you understand why I usually get up to take my time getting ready (making me pretty) for public appearances.

Imagine my horror when I looked in the mirror and this is what I saw....



Gah! Ok, really not too much horror because this is generally what I look like with no makeup (did I really just put that on the internet??)

So speaking of making things pretty and pinterest (yes, I'm tying it all together next I promise), I signed up for this thing called ipsy (which I found on pinterest - see! There's the connection). Ipsy sends me a Glam Bag each month filled with fabulous makeup samples and full-size products. I love love love makeup (might be my obsession).

Yesterday, my Glam Bag came so this morning in my hurried state, I tore into it. I almost didn't because I'm a dork who likes to really take my time with new products but since a) I couldn't wait and b) I needed makeup for sure, I slapped some on.

You'll get my reviews on each product but let's let the picture do the talking....

Here I am with my new products from the December Glam Bag. And now you know why I love makeup. It makes me pretty!

Please note: I did not in any way photoshop either of these photos. No trick of lights, no editing, nothing. Although obviously the coloring is a bit different and I don't know why - but you get the point!! The only changes were my December Glam Bag products, the door behind me is open, and I had started to curl my hair when I remembered I wanted to take my picture (notice the curl on the side of my head lol).


Now I have to hurry to my next meeting. Nate is feeling slightly better. Wanting to know when I'll be home, wanting to make new ornaments, and wondering what movie we'll watch tonight. His fever is gone which has helped me relax but I can't wait to get the open house over so I can curl up in my pajamas, watch a Christmas movie, and call it a night.

My lesson for today is sometimes all it takes to make yourself feel better is a little effort....in my case, black eyeliner, a new Urban Decay BB creme, and a red lipgloss.

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