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You might be wondering, “So what in tarnation is this Monday Poll thing anyway!?”

Well, it isn’t exactly a poll. It’s more of a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past NINE (!) years. (It’s like a kickstart for your brain.) I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine. 🙂

1. Who taught you how to ride a bike?

My cousins Rhodora and Beverly in Union City. All I really remember is that both of them had bikes with banana seats, and I think it was Beverly who put me in the front of the banana seat, and she sat in the back, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll have my feet down the entire time.”

I could hear her shoes scooting across the asphalt. Then at one point she lifted her feet up when I wasn’t aware, so I was doing it on my own.

2. Do you have any family recipes that were passed down through generations?

Girl…I wish I could say that “This was my great-great-great-grandmother’s recipe for pancit,” or whatever, but everything I’ve learned to cook, I’ve muddled through on my own. My mom wasn’t really into cooking and didn’t know much about it, so maybe it’ll be something I can pass onto Connor. How ’bout that? Maybe someday she’ll be able to say, “I’m cooking my mom’s lasagne.” I’d love that.

3. Diamonds or pearls?

What is this, a Prince song?

I don’t really wear a lot of fancy jewelry because I tend to lose it, but let’s go with pearls…because they’re classic, and they go with everything.

4. What are three things you really, really like?

1. I love pants that I don’t have to hem. Off the rack for me are almost always way too long.
2. Ooh! And I love Three Twins ice cream, which IMO is THE BEST ice cream around.
3. And I love hanging out with my daughter.

5. Something people might be surprised to know about you?

That I was obsessed with 1940s screen sirens when I was in high school.

I blame it on Casablanca, which I saw for the first time when I was 14. I love the elegance, the style, the makeup (of course) and how the ladies carried themselves.

I was super obsessed with Lauren Bacall, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo, but I liked them all.

Have a great week, my friend

I can’t believe I’m saying this because I love summer, but I can’t wait to dust off my boots today. They’ve been hidden away on a shelf in my closet for months, but I’m gonna put them out in the hallway where I keep my wearing shoes. YAY!

Wow, it’s October, which means that tomorrow is practically Thanksgiving, which means that the day after that is practically Christmas!

It’s kind of freaking me out a bit. I’m plotting to try and get everyone to come to my house this year. Ya know, once the kids are born, everyone comes to you? Well, that’s what I’m hoping this year…

You have a good one today, OK? Be kind to yourself. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy and paste…

1. Who taught you how to ride a bike?
2. Do you have any family recipes that were passed down through generations?
3. Diamonds or pearls?
4. What are three things you really, really like?
5. Something people might be surprised to know about you?

I was surprised by the response to a question I asked on Facebook yesterday about Instagram beauty — whether people found it inspirational or exhausting — and I honestly thought that most people would say, “It’s inspirational. I love it. I love seeing a glam face beat,” but there were a lot of different opinions.

Of course, some people said that they love that sort of look, but there were other people, too, who said, “You know, I’m kinda… It’s nice, but I’m kinda over it.”

One that really stuck with me was from a girl who had mentioned that she loves looking at the glam pictures because they give her ideas, and it motivates her to do her makeup every day, and in different ways, but at the same time she also recognized that when you put this one type of very specific look out there over and over and over again, and you put it up on a pedestal, it can alienate people who don’t look that way, or who aren’t that age, and I totally get that.

I mean, I feel that way sometimes. I wish that I could go on makeup pages or makeup accounts and see people in their 30s and 40s who actually look like they’re living real lives — you know, as opposed to these girls, who are beautiful; they’re glamorous — makeup done, hair done, dressed to the nines, and then they’ve got their girl squads, and then here I am, like, baby barf on my t-shirt, and I’m wearing stretchy pants.

I just was very surprised, in a good way, that there does seem to be people out there who are hungry for images of people who love beauty, but who may not necessarily be, like, hyper-edited and hyper-staged.

How do you feel about it? Do you find Instagram beauty accounts inspirational, or are you over it?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Caturday, my friend. 🙂 I hope you’re doing something fun this weekend. We’re on our way out the door to visit my parents in the East Bay. Maybe — just maybe — they’ll watch her for a few hours so El Hub and I can sneak away to a movie.