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Archives for April 2011

Fill Up in the Open Thread

April 16th, 2011 by Karen 214 Comments

Oh, heavens, I’m full. Like, even my stretchy pants are struggling. This morning I had brunch at a local breakfast joint here in Novato called Marvin’s. That was a couple of hours ago, and I’m still beyond stuffed. I think I even ate the plate when I finished what was on it — two eggs Benedict topped with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and avocados (no Hollandaise sauce for me, please) and a big helping of hash browns. All washed down with about four cups of coffee (WHEE!). If you’re ever in the neighborhood, swing by Marvin’s for breakfast or brunch if you can. The food is delish!

How’s it going today? Tabs is soaking up a little sunshine by the window. I can tell he wants to go for a walk outside, but my allergies have put me on self-imposed house arrest. I think I’ll stick to writing, surfing the web and updating my running music list instead.

I haven’t updated it in months. I know for sure I’m adding a few tunes from the soundtrack to Once. Have you seen it? It’s an Irish film about two friends, one a struggling street musician, and the other a woman he meets one night during one of his performances. SO touching, soulful and bittersweet. Their relationship really got to me, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

Also going on the list — a few songs from a British band called The Go! Team. Their stuff has a lot of kick to it. It’s peppy, with a good dose of hip-hop, kinda like Gnarls Barkley meets Cibo Matto.


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There are 214 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

How Much Is That Catnip in the Window?

April 16th, 2011 by Karen 6 Comments


What Tabs likes to call “the salad bar” at home. There’s cat grass in the white container, and the dark pot behind it houses what’s left of his favorite catnip plant.

This is also his favorite windowsill to watch birds in the oak tree right outside.

There are 6 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

April 16th, 2011 by Karen 574 Comments

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Meghan! Congratulations, Meghan! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Win a $50 Sephora eGift card from Makeup and Beauty Blog

You know that first big yawning stretch of the morning? Doesn’t it feel glorious? Good morning, young lady! Happy Saturday from partly cloudy Novato, California, where the San Francisco Bay meets the hills of Wine Country. Judging by the many shades of green outside, we are now firmly in spring’s rejuvenating grip. 🙂

How long have you been up? I followed the tabby downstairs a few minutes ago. He pranced, of course; I just sort of ambled awkwardly down using the handrails for support. Perchance does he want gravy for breakfast? Methinks he does.

What’s on your plate for today? Is today a fun Saturday or a chores Saturday? Or a little bit of both? I haven’t figured out my game plan yet, but I have a feeling there’s something I’m supposed to do. I can’t remember what it is, though, and for once, I don’t have a list.

I feel lost without my lists…

While I make myself some toast for breakfast and open a can of Fancy Feast for my boss His Royal Highness, why don’t we kick off the weekend with a giveaway?

A Makeup and Beauty Blog Giveaway!

Win a $50 eGift card from Sephora

  • One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (or $50 sent by PayPal instead).

  • There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what’s your favorite modern convenience? If you could be any animal, which animal would you be? Who makes your favorite shoes? What’s your foundation shade? — you get the idea.
  • Second, you can enter by following me on twitter Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
    • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/hotS3m

  • The deadline to enter is Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 11:59PM (PT).
  • Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
  • A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
  • Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
  • Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. The winner may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal.
  • Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
  • The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

  • WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Meghan! Congratulations, Meghan! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂
There are 574 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun Keywords: giveaway

Pack It Up (I’ll Take It): Packing Tips and Greetings from the Bay Area

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 46 Comments


The 1,815-foot-tall CN Tower in downtown Toronto

Hey, buddy! I’m baaaack. Yup, I got in from Toronto a few hours ago. I’m still hella loopy with jet lag, but I’ve been bursting out of my Spanx to tell you about the trip.

It was just a quick, two-day jaunt, but it was enough to see that Canada rocks.


A flying Canadian school bus


Toronto has beaches!


California Dreamin’…

I’m under strict instructions not to divulge the mission parameters, yet, but the trip had everything to do with a three-letter word that starts with M and ends with C.

Are you freaking out? Yeah, me too. 🙂

Until the veil of secrecy lifts (soon), I’d like to talk about a subject that has plagued me for years: packing!

Imagine your most packing-challenged friend — you know, the one who brings everything but the kitchen sink — and multiply that by two. The resulting hot mess would be me. If packing was a sport, I’d probably never take home a medal. Most of the time, I just try to bring way too much.

But for this trip, I tried some new things, and I think I actually did pretty darn well.

1. Use a beauty e-packing list

El Hub gives me a hard time for packing, yet whenever we go on trips, all he has to do is throw a toothbrush, toothpaste and contact lens solution into a plastic bag and he’s done. It’s so annoying! I’m a gal who loves her products, and one Ziploc bag is not gonna cut it for me.

This time, since I usually agonize over what to bring, I used a beauty e-packing list to stay organized. It’s basically a checklist of products divided into categories that make sense to me.

No kidding, this sucker really helped. Before the trip, I created the list on my computer and printed it out. Then, I crossed things off as I popped them into my suitcase. Because of the list, packing took me about half the time it usually does.

(NOTE: I’m kind of a makeup nut, so your list may be shorter than mine.)
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There are 46 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Beauty Tips, MAC Makeup Keywords: mac

Reach for the Sky!

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 9 Comments


Downtown Toronto and the 1,815-foot CN Tower from the roof of the Thompson Hotel.

Other tall stuff…
Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt 481 ft
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France 902 ft
Empire State Building, New York, New York 1,250 ft
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(the tallest structure in the world)
2,717 ft

source

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Beauty

MAC Unsung Heroes: Syrup Lipstick

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 33 Comments

Sweet! Every time I wear syrup, strangers stop to ask me what it is. Wait — that didn’t come out right. No, not corn syrup or maple syrup, although those are also great. I’m referring to pretty pink MAC Syrup ($14.50), a permanent member of the MAC Lustre Lipstick line.

Described as a cloudy pink on the MAC website, this hydrating, cool-toned lippie hides a hint of purple behind its shiny finish. I dig the way it looks, but my lips love the way it feels — not too thick nor thin. And it’s a great value, too, thanks to its versatility. It looks great with everything from dramatic smokey eyes to conservative everyday looks.


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There are 33 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Lips, MAC Makeup, Unsung Heroes Keywords: mac, unsungheroes

If You Love MAC Turquatic, You May Want to Sit Down for This…

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

First the dodo bird, now this?! Has the world gone mad? Last weekend I was searching for MAC Turquatic ($25) online but couldn’t find it, so I asked one of the gals at my nearby MAC counter for the scoop.

Apparently, the fragrance is being discontinued (ACK!). Um, what’s up with that? And right before summer? I loved Turquatic, and I can’t be the only one. I thought its watery notes made it a wonderfully light, sparkling scent for summer.
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There are 37 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Fragrance, MAC Makeup Keywords: mac

Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer One Coat Glitter

April 15th, 2011 by Karen 5 Comments


Milani Specialty Nail Lacquer One Coat Glitters ($4.99 each), available now at drugstores and also online.

There are 5 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Daily Photo Keywords: milani

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