Just For Fun

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 five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. What’s your favorite genre to read?

Hmm… Well, apparently, based on the last few books I’ve read (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Lilac Girls and Lost Roses), these days it’s historical fiction.

But I’m also a sucker for cookbooks.

2. What time did you go to sleep last night?

A little after 10 p.m. Hawaii time. Connor usually goes to bed between 8-9, but we’re staying in Waikiki for the next few days, and the hustle and bustle down here is LOUD.

Back when I was a city girl and lived on one of the noisiest streets in San Francisco (Geary), I could sleep right through the car horns, sirens and boisterous sidewalk conversations about people meeting up with friends, but not so much anymore. Now I’m like, “WHY DON’T Y’ALL JUST MEET AT THE STARBUCKS!?”

3. Choose an eyeshadow: matte blue or metallic green?

Matte Blue! Navy, specifically. And I’d apply it with a wet angled brush as a liner.

4. Something you accomplished recently?

I rode a horse for the first time, and woo-hoo — I didn’t fall off! ?

5. Who’s the best dressed person in your family?

LOL. It’s gotta be the baby, hands down. She’s got the most colorful collection of tutus, and she isn’t afraid of bold prints.

My (not so little) pony, Napoleon

I crossed one of the items off my bucket list this trip. I finally rode a horse!

It happened at Kualoa Ranch, which is a huge ranch at the base of the Ko’olau mountains on Oahu.

You know the Jurassic Park movies? Many of the jungle scenes from the various movies were filmed there. ?

They have a whole bunch of things to do at the ranch, like zip lines, ATV tours and horseback rides. I was really surprised and impressed by the whole place.

Luckily, I was paired with the most gentle horse, a blonde boy named Napoleon, who, I was told when we finished the ride, is the horse they give to the elderly and children…

LOL! He was a great listener and super sweet, and I may or may not have teared up a little when I had to leave him at the end of the ride.

The most surprising things to me about riding a horse?

1. How high off the ground it felt! Holy crap, the ground seemed really far away.
2. Also, the amount of core muscles involved. By the end of the ride, I felt like I had worked out for 60 minutes.
3. Lastly, how unpredictable animals are. I don’t know why, but I was surprised when Napoleon would do his own horse thing, like veer off to a patch of yummy-looking grass (which happened only once… He was a good listener, but apparently this grass was too delicious to resist).

It was one of the funnest things I’ve done in ages, and it made me wish I had a horse buddy to hang out with on the regular.

Have a wonderful rest of your day and a great week. Talk to you soon.

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 your favorite genre to read?
2. What time did you go to sleep last night?
3. Choose an eyeshadow: matte blue or metallic green?
4. Something you accomplished recently?
5. Who’s the best dressed person in your family?

Well, who would’ve thunk it? An edition of Saturday Surfing at a time during which there’s a slim chance this girl could actually go surfing?

Mind you, it’s a slim chance…because I’m at a season in life when I only want to do ocean activities that involve a beach umbrella, a book and a comfortable lounge chair.

But there’s a chance!

For now, how about we surf some calm digital waves with this week’s beauty stories instead?

• Movie makeup artists from Rocketman, Downton Abbey (YES) and Bombshell chat about filmmaking challenges, including the use of prosthetics, emerging anti-aging technology, and wigs, along with some of the things that doing makeup for the big screen demands.
• Looking for some makeup inspiration today? Here are Allure’s best hair and makeup looks from this year’s American Music Awards.
• How brands are responding to concerns about the environmental footprint of limited edition holiday sets
• Skincare pioneer Dr. Nicholas Perricone answers a sh*t-ton of interesting questions in this article. (Why do I love articles like this so much? I have no idea.)
• What it’s like to get your hair cut by a student learning their craft.
• Why does Instagram love sphynx cats?

Did you do any Black Friday shopping yesterday? I saw a few local deals in the tourist shops I popped into yesterday when El Hub and I were in Kailua, Which is a beach town on the eastern side of the island, so I picked up a few small Christmas gifts for people (a mermaid watch for Cocobaby; so cute!). Nothing really for myself, though, since I’m saving for my next pair of Athleta tights.

The famous Lanikai beach

We also stopped by one of my favorite beaches, Lanikai, which has postcard perfect clear, turquoise blue water, soft sand and gentle waves.

It’s not the easiest beach to get to since there isn’t a parking lot (you have to drive around the neighborhood for street parking, which took us about 20 minutes), and there’s no official entrance sign or marker (you’ll have to find one of the many paths to the shore and walk between the ocean-front houses), but once you’re there you’ll get why Lanikai gets props as one of the best beaches on Oahu.

A tip for sticky sand

Some folks don’t like the sand at Lanikai because it’s so fine that it sticks to your skin, and it can be hard to remove, but I don’t mind it at all. Just bring a small bottle of baby powder with you. If you rub a little on yourself when you’re done at the beach, before you get into your car, the sand will slide right off ya.

My friend Liz the lifeguard taught me this trick back in high school, and it works!

Have a great rest of your Saturday, my friend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Happy Thanksgiving, sweet friend! I hope your pants are stretchy enough to accommodate an extra helping (or two) of pie and that someone important to you is within cuddling reach.

If you look closely, you’ll see me and Connor waving hi from the middle of the Pacific (aloha!). We’re spending the holiday with El Hub’s side of the family on East Oahu with a beach quite literally down the street. It’s kind of crazy to me that you can swing by the ocean here and see views like this on your way home from going to Safeway to buy gluten-free hamburger buns, LOL!

I’m grateful for so many things today and always, including today feeling the ocean breeze on my skin… Do you have a place that makes your soul feel alive? For me, that’s anyplace near the water. ?

As much as I love to cook (oh, and props to you if you’re running the kitchen; good luck and god speed!), I’m kind of relieved to not be hosting this year. I’m excited about just showing up to eat, ha ha ha!

I’m especially excited about dessert, which leads me to this delightful bakery my friend Fern (hiya, Fern!) introduced me to last time I was on the island: Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery.

They’re known for their mini bunt cakes, a.k.a. their Cake Bombs, that they make from scratch. I stopped by yesterday and picked up two of their most popular flavors, lemon and strawberry guava (melt in your mouth!), along with a lemon bar-inspired treat called a lilikoi cream cheese bar, which has a shortbread base, cream cheese middle layer and a tart layer of passionfruit on top. If you’re ever passing through Kaimuki on a trip to Honolulu and your sweet tooth is aching, you’ve gotta stop by.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend. Sending you light and love today. AND PIE. ?

So much pie!

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 five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

Oh, easy question. All of them? I could happily nosh exclusively on the fixin’s and straight-up skip the turkey.

But if I have to pick one…it’s mashed potatoes.

Buttery, creamy, silky mashed potatoes with an obnoxious amount of gravy!

2. What time did you wake up this morning?

According to my unholy jack@ss of an alarm clock, it was 5:45, but PGR (Pretty Girl Rosie) thought it would be fun to climb onto my head and turn on her purr machine at 5, so I’ve been up since 5.

Does anyone else live with a furry friend who gets up at obnoxious hours?

3. Choose a lipstick color: orange or brown?

Brown! — but not too brown. A pinkish brown would be ideal.

4. Something you need to finish by the end of the day?

YARGH, I need to pack for a trip. We’re heading to Hawaii tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving week with El Hub’s side of the family.

Purr usual, I’ve left the packing up to the last day, but I’m determined to have everything done by noon… That way I’m not stressed out and throwing random crap into my luggage at the last minute.

5. Who’s the best cook in your family?

In my extended family, hmm… Well, probably my godmother. She lives in the Philippines, and homegirl can throw down in the kitchen. Her oxtail soup moves me to tears, no joke! In my immediate family, probably me and my brother. We can both follow a recipe, and we both have a general understanding of the timing and ingredients in a dish.

San Francisco Spartan adventures

The Spartan race in SF on Saturday was BONKERS, and I mean that in the best possible way. It was really fun, challenging, and I might just do one again.

I recommend it 100% if you ever get a chance and the urge. The one I did was in Oracle Park stadium in SF, but they have them in neat locations all over the country.

In case you have no idea what I’m taking about, Spartans are group running races with additional obstacles peppered along the course. The one I did was a “Stadion Sprint,” which was three miles interspersed with 20 obstacles, and because it was in a stadium, there was lots of going up and down stairs, which I’m OK with (I don’t mind doing stairs), but there were numerous dicey moments when I was really high up in the nosebleed seats, and I remember thinking to myself, “Karen, please don’t fall. It’s a LONG way down.”

The most challenging parts for me were the obstacles involving heights. I’m not afraid of heights per se…but the obstacles with a height element were very much off the ground. Like the rope climb, OMG! I made it to the top and rang the cowbell, but as I was inching my way up, I remember looking down and thinking, “Geez, I’m further from the ground than I am from the top, so I should probably just keep going up before something horrible happens.”

I think it was 12 feet up? Whatever it was, IT WAS HIGH.

Also, hoisting myself up and over the obstacles with high wooden walls was challenging. I think the highest one was eight feet off the ground.

I think those walls are why I keep finding these weird bruises on my arms…

Oh, and that pyramid thingy with the ropes! That was also surprisingly nerve-wracking, again because of the height element.

Overall, it was a fun day, and if you ever have the chance and any inkling of desire, I would highly recommend it, especially if you can do one with a team. I did it with a bunch of people from the gym, and we all cheered each other on.

Have a great rest of your day!

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 your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?
2. What time did you wake up this morning?
3. Choose a lipstick color: orange or brown.
4. Something you need to finish by the end of the day?
5. Who’s the best cook in your family?