Karen

1. The day of the dead cats and dogs at Trader Joe’s

The purr-fect spooky gift for your favorite cat (or dog) lady exists!

Each ceramic planter is $7.99 and includes a cute little succulent.

If you’re at a loss for a name for your new planter pet, you can always borrow the one I gave mine – Gigi, which was one of my grandma’s nicknames.

2. Pamela Anderson going makeup-free at Fashion Week

Out of all the gangsta moves one could make at a high profile fashion and beauty event, this is the most iconic of them all. Pam, I totally get it. Sometimes all I wanna do is get dressed, run a brush through my hair and be on my way.

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A post shared by TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@hodaandjenna)

3. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts” album

Every song is fantastic — each a clear snapshot of what it feels to be 19 and on the verge of young adulthood. Listen to the entire thing all the way through at least twice, and then let me know which songs are your favorites.

Here are mine!

4. Crocheted sweaters

Especially the ones with flowers on them! I really like this one.

Quick question for my friends out there who know a thing about sewing and knitting. Is crocheting something I can learn from a book or watching YouTube tutorials? Or do I have to find a class? I would love to learn how to crochet cute flowers and plants like these ones I saw at the farmers’ market a while back.

5. That gross but satisfying feeling you get when…

…you wax your upper lip hair off and see all the stubby little hairs all up in the wax. Please tell me you do this because if you don’t, you’re missing out on one of life’s most underrated joys, LOL! So gross, yet so satisfying.

What’ve you been loving lately?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. What’s something you’re looking forward to in October?

Visiting a pumpkin patch with Connor and El Hub. We go to the same one every year, and it’s always so much fun!

And honestly, I’m also looking forward to moving ahead with my life. I’ve been feeling stuck and sad lately, and I’m so tired of being in that space. I’m ready to change the vibe. I know it won’t happen overnight. This month I’m going to just keep treating myself with an abundance of love and allow the care and kindness sent from the universe to enter from all sides.

That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it. 🙂

2. Pick a nail polish color – bright cherry red or dark blood red?

Dark blood red, please, and the darker the better. I’d love a sturdy, shiny topcoat, too.

3. Your favorite snack lately?

Ooh, dried apricots and a handful of pistachios (gotta be pistachios in the shell, though)! I’ve been trying to balance out most meals and snacks with a combination of carbs, fiber and protein and this combo really hits the spot.

4. Something that decorated your childhood bedroom that you loved?

When I was a teenager, I used to have a poster that my granny got me. It was of a Nagel-inspired lady with a single tear rolling down her cheek and the word “memories” at the bottom of the poster. I loved it and thought it was so cool.

5. Updo or a blowout?

Blowout so I don’t have to deal with the headache I always get with an updo.

Happy Monday to you, my friend. Right now I’m enjoying my second cup of coffee and reveling in the simple pleasure of just how darn good it is! Like, do you ever just stop and smell your coffee? Holy crap, it’s amazing, right? Anyway, I’m just trying to stay fully present today, and apparently that involves swooning over the scent of a deliciously milky cup of coffee, ha ha ha.

What have you got going on this week? Whatever you’re up to, I hope love surrounds you from all sides!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. What’s something you’re looking forward to in October?
2. Pick a nail polish color – bright cherry red or dark blood red?
3. Your favorite snack lately?
4. Something that decorated your childhood bedroom that you loved?
5. Updo or a blowout?

Hi, friend. To say that this was one of the emotionally hardest weeks I’ve had in a while is an understatement. Thank you for making the load a little lighter with your kind and thoughtful messages about my granny’s passing.

For weeks now, I’ve been looking for a sign from her in nature, a hello of sorts from wherever she is in the universe, and I think it came yesterday afternoon.

(Yes, I know it might seem silly to some, but it’s something that really helped me when Tabs died.)

Connor and I were headed to the dance studio for practice. She opened the door, stepped outside, and then, with a very calm, steady voice said, “Mom, don’t freak out, but there’s a baby snake right next to the doormat. Stay calm and don’t scream.”

So, of course I screamed. And then I jumped about 20 feet into the air!

The baby snake quickly scooted away underneath the house, and I swear, it looked absolutely delighted with my reaction.

Seeing snakes in our neighborhood this time of year isn’t surprising because we’re surrounded by open space on the hills with tons of animals, but I’ve never seen a snake right on our doorstep.

Later that evening, we looked it up because Connor desperately wanted to know what type it was. Apparently it was black with a red collar around its neck — details which she provided because I was too busy freaking out, ha ha ha. We found out it was a ring-necked snake, which lives in our area but is a very rare sighting.

I want to believe it was granny saying hi while keeping me on my toes. Now that I think about it, she was way too feisty to send me a sign through a delicate butterfly or a dainty hummingbird. A spunky snake wearing a red necklace and showing up unexpectedly on my doorstep is totally her style. I’m sure wherever she is, she’s cracking up.

I totally recognize that it could’ve been purely a coincidence, but here’s the thing. Today she’s being laid to rest; I can’t help but acknowledge the splendid timing of it all.

Anyway, I’m so emotionally tired. I’ve been sad and happy at the same time… It’s a weird feeling.

So, today, I’m going to take time to care for myself by focusing on the glimmers, which are the opposite of triggers. Glimmers are moments that happen throughout your day which spark moments of joy and peace.

Writing this has sparked some joy, so thank you for listening.

Please take some time today to find your glimmers, if you can. They’re out there waiting for us. Sometimes they might even show up as a spunky baby snake on your doorstep. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

At 5:45 in the afternoon, as I was making bunny ears with Connor’s shoelaces to get her out the door in time for dance class, my beautiful, spunky, red-haired granny took her last breath and left this earth.

It made me think of one of the biggest lessons I learned about grief when Tabby died all those years ago; it’s so very odd — and frankly quite cruel — that life demands you buckle up and keep going, even when massive seismic shifts happen and you’re hurting so very much.

I’d like to think that granny would’ve liked that Connor was on her way to the dance studio to do something active, since my granny, up until the last few years, was always out and about.

When she was younger, she loved walking and especially loved riding her bike, and when I was really small, sometimes she’d pop me into her bike basket and take me for a ride around the neighborhood. I remember being so little and cruising around the block with her and laughing so hard, the wind tousling my hair. I thought it was the funniest thing in the whole world.

Most of my memories of her are from when I was very young, and now they’re faded into snapshots, but in every one, I can always see her smiling at me. I can hear her voice telling me how much she loves me.

With her passing, now there is one less person on this earth who knew me as a child. One less person who loves me.

I am no longer a granddaughter.

As I sit in my house and look out my window at the blue sky and clouds and the bright green leaves on the oak tree rustling outside, I’m reminded once more what a joy it is to be young, alive and to have my autonomy. To be able to wake up in a place that’s all my own. To be so very loved by my daughter and my husband.

Note to self — there’s absolutely no time or room in life for nonsense. Run towards those people who love you, full speed, and hold tight.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen