Sucker for Makeup (and Heidi Klum)

I live for Project Runway. I would love to be on the show but I don't know how to sew; so that's a problem. Heidi has a cute personality on the show and she is fun to watch. I am a semi-sucker for brands. She has come out with a makeup line for Victoria's Secret. I haven't seen it in person but I love how the colors look on my computer! I hope looks aren't deceiving. I would love to have this collection for Christmas. Hint, Hint, Nathan or Ann or Mom and Dad! Here is a link (this one works)

Ghost Town

Ry was reading the newspaper this morning and announced to me that Beverly Hills Chihuahua was the biggest box-office hit at the movies this week. For the second week in a row. Cringe. If you saw it and liked it, I'm happy for you. Please just don't tell me about it.

For the rest of you who are looking for a great movie, go see Ghost Town! It's a well-written, funny romantic comedy, full of twists and turns. Ry and I both loved it, and I don't think it was just because we haven't been out together, alone now for nearly 10 months (We went for a date when my mom was here. She stayed with baby.).

OK--being footloose and baby-free for the evening probably did have something to do with it, but we weren't the only ones enjoying it. It was one of those movies that had audience laughing out loud and clapping at the end!

I'm not sure how widely it's playing (the theaters have to save lots of screens for back-to-back showings of Beverly Hills Chihuahua). We had to see it a small, arts theater here. If you can't see it on screen, look for it when it comes out on DVD.

Sigerson Morrison for Target!!

Sigerson Morrison is a high end and pricey brand of shoes. Neiman Marcus carried them when I worked there. They are also carried at Saks, Bergdorf etc. . . Hollywood celebs love their ballet flats. Reese's shoes were $429.00 Good news: Sigerson Morrison is designing a line for Target!! Gotta love Target. The line comes out at the end of October. I will be there to buy the aqua or silver ballet flats for under $30 ( pictured below). What a deal. I wasn't crazy about the other shoes in their line for Target but here's a link to see the collection. GO TARGET!

Yearbook Yourself

I found this fun site called Yearbook Yourself. You upload a picture of yourself and they show you how you'd look from years past. Yes, all the pics below are of me (Laura)!! I will say that the 1990 pic looks JUST like Ann's highschool/college pics when Aqua Net ruled the world!!

______1966____________1972_____________1974_____________1990_____

Below is an actual pic of my mom (left) from 1969 and my sister Ann (right) in 1990.

Halloween Again

I promise this will be my last post about Halloween! Growing up, Halloween was our mom's Christmas! I know Ann will agree with me on that :o) It was such a fun time of year; filled with candy, homemade costumes and birthdays (mom's right before, dad's on, brother's right after). Again, I have to put Target on a pedestal. Their decorations are so cute this year. Here are a few fun finds and here's the link to see more. Happy Halloween.

Exercise

1. Clothes

Let's start with the most important. Clothes. Because lets be honest girls, if we don't feel cute while working out, what's the point? This is the BEST line of workout clothes. Luluemon. I discovered it last December in the pro shop of a fancy/shmancy gym. I just thought they had cute tops and bottoms so I bought a few pairs. I really didn't realize what a great purchase I had just made. Until I started working out in them. These are the most durable, long lasting, well-made, CUTE workout clothes out there! I immediately went online and found that there were stores with the full line in San Fran and Newport Beach. You can bet every time I am in either location, I stock up! (I just did this past weekend! yippee!) So, check and see if there is a store in your area. And if not, keep checking! They are great! (and sooo cute!!!!)

2. Yoga

I am so into yoga right now. I have been doing it religiously once a week for two years now, but I just kicked it up a notch. A new yoga studio opened two minutes from my house and they heat the room to 95 degrees!!! I was very sceptical. I had heard about this, but thought it was really weird to workout in such heat, on purpose! But, I went to a free trial class and gave it a shot. It is WONDERFUL!!! I am sold! I am a heated/yoga junkie! I must say that I have NEVER sweat like I do in that class. The sweat is literally dripping off my body and it looks like I just jumped into a pool of baby oil. But it feels sooo good to sweat like that! I actually crave it. The yoga masters say that is is very detoxifying and cleansing and good for the body and skin. I dunno, I just know that it feels good!!! Also, when we workout in a heated room, you can get into deeper stretches. Mind, body, soul, meditation, breathing. It is my weekly therapy. I am a JUNKIE!

3. Garmin

These just keep getting better and smaller every year. I got a Garmin GPS for Mother's Day last year and I never leave home without it, when I'm running, that is. This little watch tells me my running pace, how far I have gone, how long I have been working out, my heart rate, my calories burned, where to go! (turn here etc!), and as you can see, the date and time! I can also workout with a "virtual training partner" and so many other things that I haven't even tried yet. This GPS/watch has definitely changed my workouts. Now when I run, I am very much aware of how fast I am running. And it has pushed me to many times go farther or longer. If I get to the end of a run and let's say I ran 5.8 miles, I will keep going until I hit 6, just because! Or if I have burned 380 calories, I will keep going until I hit 400. You get the idea. I guess I like my numbers nice and neat! But hey, it pushes me to do more!

So there you have it friends. My exercise thoughts for today. I went to yoga this morning and am full of the exercise spirit! :)

Favorite Airline

This past weekend I rode on a new airline for the first time, Virgin America. I was very impressed. I kind of felt like I was a character in the cartoon The Jetsons, I was in the future! There are pink lights running along the inside of the plane and the walls are clear purple plastic! They call it mood lighting! Besides the (interesting) color choices, they have thought of everything and are unlike any other airline out there! Their prices are great right now too!

Fun facts:

First Class. The chairs in first class recline to an almost horizontal position! The seats in coach are spacious and comfortable. All seats are covered with leather made by Ferrari!

The creators of the Ipod designed the in flight entertainment system. Each seat has it's own TV screen that also acts as a touch screen. In your arm rest is a remote control. On your TV, you can listen to music, play games, read, watch TV or movies, SHOP!!, or order fresh food! It's crazy! You can also chat online with other passengers on the plane! Or email or text. I'm telling you, its very progressive!

Each seat also has a 110v plug so that you can plug in your computer.

See if they fly in your area! It's a trip! (pun intended!)

Halloween at Target

Target has really outdone themselves this year with Halloween decorations. They are the cutest I have seen in years. Everyone needs to go check them out. You will think that you are at Pottery Barn Kids! here's a link

Best Friend in the Kitchen!

Maybe everyone already has this product, but I just discovered it, and now can't live without it!! This was given to me for my birthday by Megan (who babysits for me and knows my kitchen well!). She told me it was her favorite kitchen gadget and didn't know how anyone could get along without it. I AGREE!!!

The Williams Sonoma Vegetable Chopper. It comes with two different trays that easily pop in and out and give you the option of slicing, or dicing in different sizes. Once you slice or dice your food, it is trapped in a plastic compartment that also acts as a measuring cup!! Close the device, turn it parallel, and there are markings letting you know how much food you collected. How cool is that?! (They think of everything!) Second in importance to ease of use is cleanup. It is so easy to clean! A little comb (see above) attaches to the product and helps you clean out any food that water won't. Then throw it in the dishwasher.

We had taco salad for dinner the other night and decided to use it on our tomatoes. Perfectly diced, gorgeous tomatoes!!!! And so fast and easy! Can't wait to use it on onions! I DO NOT like dicing onions!

Favorite Footwear

Here is my list of favorite footwear (in no particular order):

1. UGGS: It's been said that they are the ugliest shoes on the planet but they are by far the most comfortable. Here is my story. Back in early 2003, they were practically unheard of. I had seen them in the Neiman Marcus catalog and thought nothing of them until I saw a pair returned to the store (we weren't even carrying them in the store at this point). I tried them on and thought they were comfortable but they were too ugly for me :o). Several months later, Neimans was liquidating their inventory of Uggs and I found a pair at the Last Call store for $17.00 after my discount. (They look like the ones next to the baby pink UGGS below). So, I bought them and am a HUGE fan of UGGS. Shortly thereafter, Oprah listed them as one of her Favorite Things and there was a HUGE run on UGGS and they couldn't be found anywhere except on Ebay for $500+. I don 't care how ugly or out of fashion they are, I will always have a pair. Five years later, my UGGS are pretty trashed so I think it's time for a new pair. I also bought a pink pair for Brooke when I worked at Neimans. Isn't she cute!!

2. PINK flip flops: The patterns are always fun and trendy and I LOVE the Pink line.

3. Manolo Blahniks: These are a Splurge! Splurge!! Splurge!!! They start at $550 and go into the thousands. When I worked at Neimans, a lot of the associates wore them and said they were the most comfortable shoes ever. I thought that was hard to believe until I owned a pair myself (pictured below left). I got a STEAL on these. They were $550. and after all my discounts, I paid around $100. I am sure they will be my last pair :-( I found all the rumors to be true. They are the most comfortable shoes. It's really hard to explain unless you try a pair. Manolo Blahnik is an actual person and his shoes are handmade. When he was younger, he used to make shoes out of tin foil for his pets. What a great start!

4. Fit Flops: Several months ago, my friend Melanie called me and said we had to buy these calf building shoes. I had seen the calf building sneakers that are several hundred dollars. I bought a pair of Fit Flops ($50) in silver and wear them all the time. I do think they work. They make my legs feel like they have been messaged. It's similar to the feeling my legs feel after swimming laps. I wear them around the house and out. VERY comfortable summer shoes. They also come in a lot of fun colors. There were one of Oprah's summer picks. (they run big. I am a true size 7 and I bought these in a 6 and they fit perfectly)

What's in Laura's Beauty Box

Here is what I would never be without. I consider myself an expert in the make up testing department. When I worked at Neiman Marcus, I was bombarded with makeup samples and feel like I've tried it all (Chanel, Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, Dior,NARS, etc. . . ). Here is what I absolutely would not be without!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner: hands down the best eyeliner out there. It's the only eyeliner I have ever tried that stays on all day long. When I go to wash my makeup off at night, it still looks like I just applied it. I am a fan of basic black eyeliner but I have this one in Black Mauve (pictured above). It's black with a hint of purplish-brown which is great for fall since purple is the "it" color.
NARS Bronzer: great way to add a little bit of color. I wear it in Laguna
NARS Sabrina Lip Balm: wonderful lip conditioner that contains vitamin E and SPF 20. I also love the color. It looks great with the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the color Sex Machine.


MAC Lip Liner: love their colors. I've always worn Spice and Whirl
MAC Eye Shadows: they have a huge selection. I have 40+ of their eye shadows but I wear these three on a daily basis: Pen'N Pink, Sushi Flower, and Blackberry
MAC Shadow Paint: best beauty secret ever. My eye shadows used to "cake" in my crease. I tried several primers to fix this problem. (NARS primer is a great one, by the way) but nothing totally solved the problem until I discovered this little tube of magic paint. I put it on before I put on eye shadow and it doesn't crease. I use it in "Untitled."

MAC Brushes: I am a big fan of brushes and MAC makes a lot of good ones. Their brush cleaner is good too.



Kiehls Supremely Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover: Before I left Neimans, I stocked up on this since I got 1/2 off. It completely removes all eye make up and it amazes me how it completely takes off all the mascara and leaves you with soft lashes. This is the only product I've found that totally removes mascara.
CHANEL Lip Gloss: new found favorite. I love it in Bonbon (which is also Jessica Simpson's fav) and I wear it with MAC Whirl lip liner. I love the applicator brush.
Dior Show Mascara: hands down the BEST mascara out there. The wand is out of this world. I've tried almost every brand of mascara and this one is the best. My second favorite is Clinique High Impact.