Crave Photography

So I just discovered Crave Photography in time for an amazing giveaway. I mean, you have to go there to see all of it's awesomeness, and I honestly hope I win....I could use a number of those things. But really what I really want is some one on one workshopping. I have gone so long on my self taught skills and feel that there is so much that could be honed by a fresh eye and some mentoring. I'm craving it. Pun not exactly intended. But maybe.

BonLook

I am obsessed with glasses right now. Much like all people who are slaves to trends. I'm not a slave, I promise, but I love me some great glasses. And so does My Favorite Things, so much so that they are having a great giveaway for BonLook (who I have decided that I love with all of the section of my heart reserved for eye wear purposes). And thanks to their try-on feature (which is the first one in history, or at least the 2 other sites that I have tried to try glasses on to an image of yours truly, that has worked) I now know that I can pull off roundish glasses, and they might actually open up my face a bit in comparison to more angular ones. Score!

Sunny Days

So far this morning has looked like this:

Sunny drive to work with the light all reflecting off the fall colors and all that loveliness. Which in the Northwest is a BIG deal. I am cherishing each non-overcast day that I can before they are pretty much all thus. Not that I can't get down with the overcast in all it's awesomeness but when it gets to be everyday for months it CAN be oppressive. So HurraH for that. I will probably walk to Goodwill at lunchtime to celebrate and soak up the rays. I also was cleaning out my coat pockets at my desk because I for some reason had a wadded up wrapper to a gluten free muffin in there. That someone made for me at a church ladies thing weeks ago. Her husband discovered his gluten intolerance a year or so ago and she is an avid baker. And knew that there would be pumpkin breads and the like at the activity and wanted to make sure that just in case any of the other possible 2 not liking gluten people that maybe could show up were not left out. She is my hero. Also possibly because she then invited us over for dinner and homemade GF pizza and cookies and ice cream. And her kids are hilarious. Back to the pockets. Muffin rapper (ha...make that wrapper....that raps about muffins) in one, hairband (YES....those elusive suckers disappear on me like nobody's business, so each one is a treasure) in the other and then what I thought was a tampon but lo and behold....a package of Smarties in my pocket from Halloween! So much better! Also, I got to work "on time" this morning (pulled the car in on time) which is always a triumph for me. I totally killed this morning despite setting my alarm for 6 and not getting up till 6:40. Showered and everything ya'll.

Other things today:

Wearing my sweet freebie glasses. Did I mention that I got some glasses for free on some book of the face promotion? No? Because I haven't been blogging for realsies for, like, ever? Well I did. 

Also, I have discovered that I really need to clean out my email. As in, I get way too many emails that I really don't need. Today, my inbox looks like this......

DSW

Plum District (x4) and guess what site and emails I have not even glanced at after signing up for months ago?

Real Simple (x2)

Twitter

Mamasource

LinkedIn

SaveMore

Deals That Matter

Google Calender - informing me that I have nothing scheduled for today. The same as it does everyday.                                          

                             Because I don't really use Google Calender....and still get updates....everyday. 

Gap.com

Endless.com

Kohl's

Knitting Daily

Babyfit

Monster Job Search Agent - When did I use Monster last? Who knows. Because I don't like it. 

InStyle Magazine

Totsy

Gilt Group

Pinterest

Ideeli

That one MaryKay lady that I talked to probably 10 years ago and cannot seem to get off her list

Amazon

BabySteals.com

Beyond the Rack

Digital Photographers

Groupon

HomeSav

Fab.com

and it goes on.......

Can't believe that I actually just took the time to share that with you? Me neither. What is even more troubling is that this is what it looks like daily. And I actually open um....maybe two of those. If that. And the stuff that I actually want to look at gets lost in all the other stuff. And yet, when I go to clean out or mark some of it as Spam I wonder....will I want this in the future? Or some day when I am really bored or even not so much bored but actually have time to look at all of this crap? I think I am an email hoarder. I just can't let go. Which is probably better than being a real life hoarder. I would rather be virtually cluttered than literally and very physically cluttered with stuff. The lots of moving and now living in our small lil apartment is making it increasingly easier for me to get rid of stuff. 

But Monster and MaryKay, sorry, you at least will have to go. Baby steps. 

Mmmm.....Smarties....

Crick

This morning started with a very reluctant waking up and getting out of bed at least a half hour after I should have gotten out of bed and subsequently basically the same time I get out of bed every day. I am not a very happy morning person. Other than being grumpy about morning's rude arrival, I felt fine and started getting ready fast-like. Which has been oh so much easier as of late since I actually put all of my clothes away for the first time since we moved into ye olde small apartment. I then rudely made the guy get up since he was taking me to work today and we needed to bring Kai in to see the boss lady per her request. And you obey the boss lady. Especially after you have nicknamed her the godfather. We took a breather from hurried getting ready-ings to watch the babe sleep for a minute. Because he is adorable. And usually he is the one waking us up. I love how he sleeps all weird-like and tucks his knees under him so his butt is up in the air. See? Adorbs. And I ran into the bathroom to brush the teeth and hair and realized that I could not move my neck at that point. I must have been too tired to realize it earlier. But man....hours and advil and tylenol and icy hot patches and it is still hurting something fierce. And I just knocked a plug out under my desk that HAS to be in for my phone to work and me to do my job. Crawling under there with a janky neck and pencil skirt was not pretty.

But all of that aside, it was a nice weekend. We went to City Liquidators to get a couple things that we needed super cheap. And it is a fun place to walk around because they have some cool and some seriously crazy stuff. Full body armor anyone? And a seriously large Moose head that the guy very kindly directed me away from before I saw it and went all anxiety attack on him. I of course then had to half look at it peering around stacks of furniture because I have a strange fascination with things that frighten me. And am a glutton for punishment. And everyone commented (as per usual) on our happily cute baby. He really was in an especially good mood that day. His Great Grandpa Harris' nickname of Happy Sam fits him well. Even if his name is not actually Sam.  Sunday was lazy and productive all at the same time. I love my little family.

Whisker Graphics

Check out this great giveaway at My Favorite Things. Whisker Graphics has some adorable packaging.....but oh my! the Divine Twine! That has to be the best.

Everyday Minerals

This has never been a quote unquote "product" blog. Nor do I wish you to judge me for my redundancy in both typing quote unquote and using quotations. But the fact remains that 1) I am terrible at posting pictures of my life and sweet child because I am A) terrible at getting said photos off my camera cards and B) spend way too much time playing with the photos before sharing them and 2) have an unhealthy love for all things cheap! and free!. Does this mean that I love free products more than my baby? We shall not go down that road. It has been a learning process for me to separate free! or cheap! from free! & simultaneously worth my while!. Obtaining things that you don't need or end up using =

clutter and unnecessary accumulation. Also, I value true value. I like actual good products, and am willing to pay the little bit extra when I can for them. Not only do they work better but usually those better products go farther and prevent the need of other products.

Example: Cheap makeup. Yes it is better when I really can't afford or justify the expenditure of $25+ on my BareMinerals makeup. Trade off = my skin suffers. It gets dry or breaks out. Which necessitates more moisturizer, more skin care products. The cheap stuff never goes on right, has to be reapplied, wears off easily, and either doesn't get used because it's crappy, or gets used up twice as fast because it doesn't apply as well, is less pigmented, or doesn't stay put. Making the greater expenditure a better value. Most of you know this. However, this does not keep me from constantly looking for even BETTER values. One source that has not steered me wrong has been my REAL SIMPLE reviews.

I love the magazine. I love the website. I love their emails that clutter my inbox. Maybe because I am a sucker for packaging and their aesthetic presentation gets me every time. But I am more so convinced that they have genius ideas and their reviews are pretty spot on. So I was more than pleasantly surprised when they sent me an email today going over the best mineral makeups. Money is tight, and this is somewhere that I am always searching to save. Sometimes their reviews simply include the stuff that is out of my price range. Because good products cost more money. Dang it. But today's alternative, that they seem to be ranking up there with my beloved BareMinerals, is Everyday Minerals, at half the price of my normal foundation.

Whoohoo! The catch, they don't have the ounce-age listed on the website, so perhaps they are just being super tricky. What they DO have - a FREE sample selection in their different shades of base or foundation. 5 different shades in your range (super fair white pale white for me not an actual shade but the name i made up for my skin tone) so you can find the one that fits you. The $5 cost is subtracted from your cart and there is no other purchase necessary.

AND if you DO desire to order more (at what seem like really great prices and pretty cheap shipping) use the code EM20 to get 20% off your order to boot. I am excited to test this out.

See the short REAL SIMPLE review here.

Kid O + Fab.com

You know what’s fabulous? Fab.com. If you haven’t explored their deals, go there now-like. The daily (and beyond) deals there are always unique and drool worthy. And while I am usually wiping my chin over the home decor and other various items that are less kid centric, Fab.com also has pretty regular baby and children’s products featured. Not to mention that when you sign up, you get an automatic $10 credit. I'm a sucker for free credit. What you can see discounted there today is one of my new favorite eye candy products for my baby. Kid O, the self proclaimed Design Store for Children offers beautiful and modern aesthetics coupled with innovated methods in promoting exploration and learning. “Their goal is for their “toys [to] engage and stimulate children again and again with a rich variety of shapes, colors, and sizes — so the possibilities for open-ended, creative play are limitless.”

I also have to admit. I’m a toy snob. Not only to I want the kiddo to play with toys that promote learning, but I want them to look cool. And these certainly do. The Kid O products that Fab.com offers at a discount right now that have me excited? Well the Tip Tap Truck for one.

It’s cute and perfect for boy who is just getting into filling up and emptying containers right now. For the older kids who are learning their letters, the tracing A-Z Magnatab seems just ingenious to me. Be sure to check out the items not featured at Fab.com as well. Some of my favorites so far are the Arranging Narrow to Wide shapes in beautiful gradient greens and the Nutty Squirrel Pull Toy that I find irresistibly sweet. I've also got an eye on the Chalkboard roll up mat. A roll up chalkboard to take with you on the go? I think that might be in our future as a potential life saver.

Kid O also features their Seedling line that offers great creative kits. I am already planning on getting some for my nieces and nephews

as gifts this year. They can create a wooden people family, design their own super hero cape, become a fashion designer, or an architect of yo-yos. To be honest, I want these kits for myself.

Take advantage of the availability at Fab.com, not just because of the lucky discount, but because they only sell their products through retailers. Want to find out exactly where? Go to Kid O and they will tell you where to go. And then tell me that these are not just fabulous. I think that they are. Two great things at once, folks: Kid O and Fab.com.

Faith

There has been a lot of hoopla lately in the news and the pages of facebook (at least in my world) over some less than happy comments made by one Reverend Robert Jefferess of the First Baptist Church of Dallas in regards to the 'Mormon' church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My church. I have to admit that my knee jerk reaction is one of offense. Not one that I am proud of, but feeling as if your beliefs, that are sacred and very near and dear to your heart, are under attack is a very very hard thing to stomach. But we are not the only faith to be challenged throughout history, and this is not, by far, the worst attack we have ever received. We are not being driven out of our homes. Or killed. I am grateful for that. And the liberty we have in our nation (even though those things technically happened when those liberties where technically in place, but that's a different story).

I've been thinking a lot about all this news and what it means to me personally. Being someone who self identifies as a Christian, I don't like being told that I am not. I think that is pretty easy to understand. Firstly, I don't think you can tell anyone what they do or don't believe. That is a sure fire way to turn anyone off. If you want to know, ask. Even if you have studied my church's beliefs, ask me what that means to me. And if what you read or heard was true. I make no claims to have authority to determine if another person follows Christ or not. Even if it's not exactly in the same way that I do. Our beliefs and relationship with God are something deep within each of us and I believe are personal and unique as we all are. As we were created as unique people by that very same God, despite by what name you call Him. And only He can judge those beliefs and the intent of your heart.

In church yesterday, the topic in the class sort of organically came up. It's been on a lot of minds. Because it's a tender thing that we are protecting here. And I am really happy with how I came away from the discussion. Despite my initial knee jerk reaction to be very angry with the Reverend for his words, I am trying to remember that just as my beliefs are very important to me, what he is saying is important to him. So much so that I would spend 18 months away from my family and life that I know to work very full time in sharing them with anyone who would listen. Enough so that I feel it necessary to make lifestyle choices that aren't always understood, or popular, or easy. And enough so that I continue to correct myself and renew my efforts and devotion as I feel myself failing in certain areas. Which isn't easy. But I believe is worth it. For me. Now, do I think what he is saying is antagonistic. Yes, I do. At least in the way he is saying it. Necessary in a political setting? No, not all. Might his intentions be less than pure? Sure. But I can not be the judge of that. He is suffering a backlash for what he is saying and at the very least I can respect his devotion to it as I would hope another would respect mine. What I can do is offer a kind explanation of what I believe and why it is seen as different from others. Why it might not be seen as someone else's brand of Christianity.

In fact, we are different.

I embrace that. We have similarities, but we are also different.

We do not believe that we are led or founded by a man, as Jeffress said (his definition of a cult). Any more than the First Baptist of Dallas is a cult because he, as a man, is it's reverend or leader. We believe in a restored church as Christ established it on the earth, with his power leading it. Through prophets and apostles just like He organized. It's okay if you don't believe that, but it is what I believe.

I also love love loved another point that was made on Sunday. That Lucifer does not care what it is that we are fighting about. Just as long as we are fighting. So fighting over who is a true Christian not only seems counter intuitive, but sort of silly. And playing into the wrong hands. I believe that. And that if we are to effectively share those things that are dear to us, that it is best done in a spirit of love and understanding and acceptance. And mutual respect. Despite differences of opinion. This is what I am going to strive towards. And I will probably not do it perfectly, but that is life, and I will keep on trying.

This attitude would be great to be applied to politics as well. Especially if our political motivations are led by our faith. I do not think that any person should be elected or not elected simply based on their faith. But I'm not getting into that. Just yet. I do think that this a good read on the matter in light of current events: The shameful bias against Mormons

This is what I believe.