Makeup brushes

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Sarah

I say this in the least douchey way possible, but people occasionally ask me about my eye makeup routine and Caitlin recently asked me about my makeup brushes, so I thought I’d share that information here, with you.

(The alternative is doing some sort of video blog where I apply eye makeup, but that would basically just be me saying, “Okay, so when a normal person is done applying their eye makeup, that is when I put on more. MORE!” Also, this seems less involved, being as when I’m done, I don’t have to remove any eye makeup. Also, I still don’t have a computer.)

Anyway! That said, brushes are an important part of my eye makeup routine (as important as M.A.C.’s PowerPoint eyeliner in Engraved), so here you are.

Top, left to right; bottom, left to right:

M.A.C. #252, M.A.C. #275; random Sephora (M.A.C. #227 looks similar), M.A.C. #228.
Brush 1

M.A.C. #252
This is the brush I use first, to apply my light, all-over shadow (M.A.C. Shroom) and then at the end, when I put a dab of Shroom on the inside corners of my eyes. Nothing more to say here. I like this brush, it fulfills a need, etc. I can’t remember the last brush I used for this application, but I do remember it shredded bristles on me. This one does not do that.

M.A.C. #275
This is my all-time favorite brush. It’s small enough to use as a medium-to-dark eyeshadow applicator (M.A.C. Satin Taupe is my go-to, but I am newly in love with M.A.C. Shale — thanks Mom!), but since it’s angled, it’s great for getting the eyeshadow a little darker on the outside part of the eyelids (key for a smoky eye!)

Random Sephora brush
I use this for blending, after I apply shadow with #275. This brush I use to basically make sure each eyelid has equal amounts of pigment. Back and forth, back and forth, that’s the extent of this brush’s use.

M.A.C. #228
This is the holy grail for a smoky eye. After I apply liner and the base of eyeshadow, I drag this brush back and forth, grinding eyeshadow along the crease.

So that’s that! Let me know if you have any pressing brush questions! Also, here are pictures of the same brushes, with my thumb to scale, so you can see the brushes’ size.

Brush 2
Top, left to right; bottom, left to right: M.A.C. #252, M.A.C. #275; random Sephora (M.A.C. #227 looks similar), M.A.C. #228.

Posted in Beauty & Fashion | 1 Comment

Toot your own horn

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Sarah

Okay, so it’s not that I find myself to be a bad parent. Not at all. It’s just as far as certain parenting things, I fail miserably. Like, it would never occur to me to teach LG her numbers or colors or letters. One day she came home and she could count 1-10 and rest assured, it definitely wasn’t because of me. Chris, on the other hand, is really good about that stuff. He asks LG to identify colors when we’re out and about or reading a book or whatever. Again, just not something I think about. Green is green, everyone knows that, no need to actually learn it, right?

One thing I am good at, and allow me to toot my own horn, is real life skills. LG helps me cook (our most recent lesson was learning the difference between a *pinch* of salt and an *entire two-year-old-handful*), we fold laundry, we (I) keep a running commentary on what we’re doing. “We’re cleaning the counters!”, “We’re unloading the dishwasher!”, etc. With skills like that, who the hell really needs to know that green isn’t red, am I right?

But in all seriousness, I used to get down on myself for not being a “good” (in the traditional sense) mom. In the sense that, when I was home with LG, try as I might, I just couldn’t do the craft stuff, we didn’t practice letters or numbers (again, didn’t really occur to me), and we watched a lot of cartoons. But then I realized I’m good at other stuff and that’s totally fine with me.

Parenting has a way of making you feel really great about yourself (LG asks me for a “huggy” (not the diaper) every morning) and also really terrible (basically between the hours of 5pm and 7pm every day) so I think it’s important to remember the good things every once in awhile.

What are YOU good at (parenting or otherwise)? Toot your own horn! Pat yourself on the back!

Posted in LG | 4 Comments

The darndest

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Sarah

I know it’s pretty eye rolly when people do the “my kid says the cutest things!” type of post, but I haven’t done a real LG update in a long time and she is saying some gems I’d like to remember, so here we go. Feel free to ignore this post, unless you’re my mom.

Poose
It took me FORever to realize she was saying “pool”:

“Poooose! Pooooose!” she’d whine.

“What, you want my purse? Okay.”

“NO! Pooooose!” and then she’d run over and point to her blow-up pool.

“Oh, poooooL, got it.”

Poot
She calls poop “poot” and I’m just going to leave it at that.

Gabbies
Gabbies are strawberries, but last night I heard her add an ‘s’ to the beginning, so “gabbies” might be on their way out.

Kini
Zucchini. You’ve seen all our zucchini. She definitely knows that word.

ABCDs
She calls the song the ABCDs and sings, “A B C D mumble mumble mumble…now I know my ABCDs…”

Yeah, no you don’t.

HOT coffee!
No matter what’s in my mug, she points to it and says, “HOT coffee!”

And when the sun shines in her face in the car on the way to school, she says, “Hot, Mommy! Hot!”

MOMMY
“Ma” is out, but I still call myself Ma. I REFUSE TO LET GO.

Mungos
Flamingos are “mungos.” I repeat, FLAMINGOS ARE MUNGOS.

Thank you…THANK YOU MOMMY.
LG’s getting a little Miss Manners lately. She says thank you for anything I do for her and if I don’t respond with, “you’re welcome” immediately, I get an urgent, “THANK YOU MOMMY!”

Fook
I’ve mentioned this before; “fook” is fork and sometimes she says “fook” when there’s no fork around, but I’m sure it’s just because she’s thinking about eating.

“LG dew it” or “My turn”
These are interchangeable when LG wants to do it herself, thank you very much. I’m pretty positive “my turn” comes from school, although Chris and I do fight over the remote pretty often. “My turn, Chris! My turn!”

(Obviously kidding. There’s a reason we have two DVRs.)

In other random news, LG can put on her own shoes…
\"LG dew it.\"
WHY SHE WANT TO LEAVE ME?

And bring me cocktails…
I\'ve been waiting for this moment my whole child-having life.
Best daughter ever? BEST DAUGHTER EVER.

Posted in LG | 3 Comments

Doing good, getting by

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Sarah

Back when I worked in politics, I was often instantly judged for who I worked for, based on political party. I got a lot of, “Republican or Democrat?” and then I’d answer and I’d get an, “Oh I’m sorry.” That was the nicer (I guess) of them. I also had a lot of angry people call the office and say, “How can you live with yourself working for [that person]?!”

Some people work for companies or organizations whose political views, or the political views of the CEO/Chairperson/etc. are unknown. And then there are those of us who work(ed) somewhere where every teeny tiny political view must be expressed, where the whole job is to express political views. Where if you stay silent on an issue, then a whole slew of other haters come out of the woodwork to attack. (Or you work for Chick-Fil-A.)

To me, a job is a job is a job. Any job I have, I’m going to do and do well. I may not have agreed on every argument I had to defend or every talking point I had to write, but…does anyone, anywhere they work?

I love politics, all of it, and while I’m not entrenched in it like I once was, I still appreciate it. Appreciating it is, for me, appreciating it regardless of party. Personally, I fail to see a huge difference in political party, anyway. To me all politicians have the same job: Get re-elected. What they do to get there doesn’t really differ all that much.

Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to just “do the job” and to turn around and roll my eyes when someone said they were sorry for who I worked for.

I think there’s an expectation for my generation (and more so the younger end of it, maybe?) to have a career where you’re changing or bettering the world. While I think it’s awesome, truly, if you can make that happen — if you can do what you love and it pays the bills and it helps the environment or needy children or whatever — that is the tops.

But for me, for now, a job keeps the electricity on and champagne in the glass and diapers on LG’s butt and really? If it does all that AND I like what I’m doing? That’s good enough for me.

Not sorry.

Posted in All About Moi | 4 Comments

TV talk

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Sarah

We’re finally past that sad, dark time where regular season TV shows have ended and summer shows haven’t yet begun. I’m pretty sure through the entire month of June, the only new show we had to watch was Mad Men, which is great, except it’s not on every night, ya know?

But now there’s some new and old TV back on my tube! Lets discuss.

NEW SHOWS

Ray Donovan
First things first, I thought Liev Schreiber was from Russia. Like, English-as-a-second-language Russian. Imagine my surprise to find out he’s from San Francisco! Practically my neighbor! Anyway, I want to say this is a good show (and it is, it is), but I fall asleep while watching it every week, so… But it is good and entertaining, even if John Voight’s character kiiiiiind of really bugs me. Regardless, I enjoy Boston accents, faux-Hollywood story lines, and “cleaners.”

The Bridge
I have seen the pilot only, but I really enjoyed it and will continue to watch this show. Bridget von Hammersmark Diane Kruger plays a VERY odd and yet endearing homicide detective and I quite like her.

NEW (TO ME) SHOWS

The Newsroom
Okay, I really enjoy this show. Emily Mortimer is BEYOND and I love all the little producer kids just starting their careers (nostalgia!) and Olivia Munn is gorgeous. I was a leeeeettle annoyed at first about all the political stuff, but then I found out Will McAvoy is supposed to be a Republican and I loved him. He pinpoints everything that I hate about the GOP, so I feel a solidarity with him there.

OLD SHOWS, BACK AGAIN

Dexter
Oh, such a bittersweet feeling now that it’s the last season of Dexter. Mostly sweet, though, if I’m being honest. I didn’t think it was possible, given the entire premise of the show, but damn did it jump the shark a few seasons back with Deb professing her in-loveness with her brother. What? No. So, I think it’s time to wrap it up and I’m excited to see where it goes. SPOILER ALERT: I was kiiiiind of hoping Dexter died at the end of Sunday night’s episode and the rest of the season finished out from Deb’s point of view (how cool would that be?) but scenes from the next episode* tell me that’s not the case.

As usual, I’m watching anything and everything on Bravo (except Below Deck…for now) and I’m pretty sure I’m the only person in America who plans to watch the Real Housewives Of Miami when they return in August, but oh well.

What are you watching these days? Any can’t-miss shows I need to put on my radar?

*Hey-ey-ey-ey.

Posted in Book, Movies, TV, & Music | 4 Comments

Monday happenings

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Sarah

I am feeling SO much better after the antibiotics two weeks ago. I can taste food again, which is wonderful, because pretzels and wine for dinner isn’t the most healthy and also there are tomatoes in my yard that need eating. I seriously was starting to wonder if I’d even get to taste any of my tomatoes this season, but the other night while waiting for pork chops to cook, I ate about 30 cherry tomatoes, so yeah, my sense of taste is back, PRAISE GOD.

Other that, it’s same old, same old over here. My computer is still broken, so I’m typing this from my phone. That’s about as lame as it sounds. I have some cute pictures to share (including an orangutan legit SMILING AT ME), but nowhere to put them, so hey, come over and I’ll show you the back of my camera.

Yeah.

The other day, for the first time in my life, I bought Brown Black mascara and I am so disappointed in myself. Rookie mistake. Who doesn’t check the color, am I right? I am a Very Black gal through and through, so it’s all very weird for me when I go to put my mascara on. That said, I am enjoying the mascara itself. It’s L’Oreal Voluminous, which I’m sure I’ve tried at some point in the last 15 years, but they gave it a new brush that’s really similar to the brush on Benefit’s They’re Real. And it cost like $7 and I got it at Target, so: Winner.

I read Brandi Glanville’s book Saturday afternoon and I highly recommend. She keeps it real and LeAnn seems awful and it’s all around good fun. Except the part about vaginal rejuvenation surgery, obviously. I did especially like the part where she tells her kids they’re flying Southwest up to Sacramento, not a private plane. Holla!

Two or three years ago, I got a peach tree from work and I planted it thinking nothing would happen, but it’s producing peaches this year and they’re delicious and I’m very excited. Now I just need a banana tree and LG will be set for LIFE.

Posted in All About Moi, Beauty & Fashion, Book, Movies, TV, & Music, Food & Wine, LG, Mediocre Homes & Gardens | 7 Comments

Lessons Learned from Ma

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Sarah

The other day LG saw me shaving my legs…

“Doing, what’re you doing, Ma?”

“I’m shaving my legs. When you’re older, you’ll do this too. If you want! It’s your body and you can choose what you do with it!”

…

“Doing, what’re ya doing, Ma?”

Well. It’s never too old for a discussion about women’s rights, right?

Posted in Lessons Learned from Mom, LG | 1 Comment

Sick and monkeys

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Sarah

I’ve mentioned maybe once or twice that I haven’t felt well since Thanksgiving. That’s eight months or so of feeling off, and sometimes that offness has included the flu (once, possibly twice); several colds; and, most recently, a cough that lasted a month.

It was for the cough that I finally dragged myself to the doctor today where I [had previously diagnosed myself, thankyouverymuch] with bronchitis and sinusitis. So. It’s important to go the doctor, I guess is the point here.

But see, my problem is that I can always justify not going to the doctor because I find most doctors to be pretty useless to me. I am vigilant about my annual gyn exams (homie don’t mess around with cervical cancer) and my twice-yearly dentist visits (gum care is important!), but as for regular doctors? MEH. Underwhelming.

Also, I feel like whatever I am going through is peanuts in comparison to what others are going through. Like, my girl Caitlin recently had sinus SURGERY, so who am I to complain about a little cough and some sinus pressure, ya know?

(Thank you Caitlin, who all but got on an airplane to, uhh, strongly encourage me to get thee to a doctor and also HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

Anyway, avoiding doctors is fine! Unless I have bronchitis and have for a month, landing me in the x-ray department because, “It’s not good that you’ve had this cough for a month.”

Also everyone deserves to feel good and not like shit! What the hell, Sarah? So yeah. This whole “avoiding doctors” tactic is pretty dumb.

I am on antibiotics, which I vow to continue taking, even if they make me puke, which happened last time, so wish me luck. Bronchitis-free luck.

Luckily, LG is healthy and happy. I mean, we’ve been doing lots of time outs, but she seems to like them, so…Enjoy?

She has also taken to following us around the house saying, “Doing, what’re you DOING, Ma?” which is pretty cute.

“Doing, what’re you DOING, Ma?”

“I’m cooking dinner.”

“Okay.”

Thanks, kid…for your…approval?

We took her to the zoo for the first time last weekend and she was BESIDE HERSELF about all the animals. I don’t think she understood that animals exist outside of three-inch puzzle pieces or pictures in her book, so she was pretty delighted to see lions and giraffes and monkeys.

They exist! Amazing.

Posted in All About Moi, LG | 4 Comments

Some stuff that’s going on up in hurr

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Sarah

– My computer stopped working and that’s pretty depressing. Now we have no computers except our work computers (and smartphones) and ugh. That’s not going to work. I don’t even know that I can sign into all the things I need to sign into without that computer because it had all my bookmarks and saved passwords. (I am typing this post from my phone…Will I ever be able to blog via computer again? Not anytime soon.) PLUS, every picture I’ve ever taken of LG is on that computer and that just makes my heart ache. LUCKILY, Chris was able to grab all pictures of her from birth through May 2012 off the computer (PHEW) and everything from August or September 2012 to the present is still on the camera’s SD card, so even if we can’t grab those three/four rogue months, at least I backed up some pictures on Flickr. Oh, but I just remembered all my iPhone pictures I’d dumped onto my computer. DAMMIT. Again, at least all the IG’d shots are on Flickr. Flickr is good for something, today at least.

– I am traveling for work and I realized I have a sort of methodology for traveling alone, so as to avoid against creepers. First of all, I ask for two room keys. What if some creeper is lurking around the check-in counter and sees I only got one key and then he knows I’m traveling alone and follows me to my room? IT COULD HAPPEN. Two keys = Traveling companion! S/he is just parking the car! I have a buddy! Don’t mess with me!

I also don’t put the Do Not Disturb sign up because what if there’s a creeper walking the hotel halls and preying on those whose rooms he knows to be occupied because of the Do Not Disturb sign? IT COULD HAPPEN. No sign = Vacant room, no need for someone to break in and creep.

I think this last one is kind of a go-to creeper-avoidance trick, but I try at all costs to not get one of those rooms with a door adjoining another room. I stayed in a room with a lot of random doors to nowhere recently and it creeped me out. What if the creeper next door has a saw and saws through the lock on the adjoining door and creeps on me? No adjoining door = No creeper sawing his way in. Not that a creeper would know I’m even in the room, because my Do Not Disturb sign wouldn’t be out.

(I am a really good solo traveler, honesty.)

– Chris and I watched The Trouble With The Curve the other weekend and I enjoyed it. I think my Amy Adams obsession has been well-documented here, so that goes without saying. Plus Justin Timberlake. That’s all I need to say about that.

– I’m still reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Did I mention I was reading that? Can’t remember. Anyway. I am slogging through. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying it! I am! I just hope to finish soon so I can grab my next book from la biblioteca, Eleanor & Park (an EBJ-recommended read), and I can’t miss my pick-up window for that book. I missed my pick-up of Brandi Glanville’s book a couple weeks ago and honestly? What kind of Real Housewives fan do I even CONSIDER myself, god?

– I’m feeling very unorganized when it comes to working out/cooking recently. Likely this is because I’m traveling and although I worked out yesterday in the hotel gym, I did FAR LESS than I normally do (because, UGH, hotel gym) and also today I ate Mexican food for two out of three meals and that never makes a person feel ship-shape, ya know? Anyway, I need to get into a routine and that routine includes working up to longer runs (can I break the 3-mile slump?) and more yoga and also a lot of salads and water.

– Last night I dreamed my back teeth crumbled and fell out. Thanks, subconscious. I didn’t actually need you to tell me I’m stressed out, but okay.

What’s going on with all you recently? I hope you’re all reading good books and drinking your fluids and having dreams about white sandy beaches!

Posted in All About Moi, Book, Movies, TV, & Music, Chris, LG | 7 Comments

Zucchini boats!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Sarah

So I mentioned I was concerned about not getting any zucchinis from the garden this year. Well. That worry was for nothing.


I have all the zucchinis! No zucchini for you!

I can saute and grill and roast these to death, but I was looking for something new (and, more importantly, easy), so I thought I’d make some zucchini boats.

Zucchini boats! The new stuffed pepper!

This is more of a method situation — you can basically throw anything in the zucchini boat and it’ll be tasty. I used what I used because it’s what I had on hand. I am looking forward to a summer of zucchini boats with all different fillings, although eating them on an actual boat would be far preferable.

Anyway, onward to the method!

First things first, I cut each zucchini longways down the middle, then I scooped out the insides with a spoon. I put them face-up on a roasting pan; sprinkled with salt, pepper, and olive oil; and roasted at 400 degrees for about 13 minutes.

While the zucchinis were a-roasting, I browned up some ground beef. I seasoned it with a little onion flake and garlic powder, because I’m lazy, but if you’re not, you can chop up the real things. I also seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary (I only used rosemary because I had some that needed to be used, but any herb would work here.)

When the beef was browned, I added a couple handfuls of fresh kale (it was on its way out and needed to be used), as well as a can of diced tomatoes, and the zucchini insides. Spinach or chard would work here. So would mushrooms or bell pepper. Basically whatever you want. Get nuts. (Nuts might not be so tasty, though.)

Once the zucchinis were par-roasted and the filling was cooked, I let everything cool. I also sent the filling through a strainer to get rid of some of the excess liquid.


After roasting…Still kept their form, but they’re just a little soft and browned.

While everything was cooling, I made a bread crumb/panko mixture. I used 1/2 cup of those pre-seasoned bread crumbs, as well as a 1/2 cup of panko, and then stirred in some olive oil until the mixture was coated, but not oily.


Like so.

When we were ready to eat, I mixed the bread crumbs in with the filling, then filled all the boats and topped with cheddar cheese. I roasted at 400 for another 15 minutes, then topped with sour cream and Tapatio. I only had a little bit of leftover filling that wouldn’t fit in the boats, but I think it’ll make a good dinner for LG tonight.


Zucchini boats! With bonus garden cucumber and I LOVE SUMMER.

So this is the method! I got a little side-tracked with mine last night, starting out sort of Italian-style and then ending more Mexican with the sour cream and hot sauce. I think chopped black olives would have made a good addition. You could also use quinoa, rice, or orzo in place of bread crumbs. Fresh tomatoes instead of diced. Leftover shredded chicken or pork. Italian sausage. Black beans. Avocado. You get the idea.

(Speaking of method cooking, I must give credit to my Internet friend Carrie for, unbeknownst to her, inspiring this dinner. Tonight I’m continuing with the method cooking and making her tostadas, although I’ve yet to decide what I’m going to top them with. The possibilities! They’re endless!)

Posted in Food & Wine, Mediocre Homes & Gardens | 2 Comments