Life From a Diva's Point of View!

House of Diva

2011-08-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Divas,

Because this blog contains many, many entries regarding a certain part of my past I wish to forget, I've created a new House of Diva blog located at http://house-of-diva.blogspot.com/. This updated blog will allow me to focus on a new chapter of my life without having to retool, edit and delete portions of my old blog.

Please, please visit and become a follower of the new House of Diva blog. It's very similar to this one and the content will remain the same - life from this Diva's point of view!!!

Alicia

L'Oreal One Sweep - Toss the Sponge!

2011-08-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Not because of the application technique but because of the color, I picked up a L'Oreal One Sweep eyeshadow palette. It comes with a sponge applicator and you are meant to swipe the shadows then transfer the colors to your eyes in one easy step. Do any of us with even novice cosmetic experience think this will work? Of course not!

I tried the applicator once before tossing it in the trash, as I do with all of those sponge devices. I proceeded to then use my brushes to apply the shadow. Not bad - love the color. I just feel sorry for all those people who purchased this shadow thinking it was a miracle and who I'm sure are still struggling with that damn one sweep technique.

TGIF!!!

2011-08-12T06:05:00.001-07:00

Toddlers to Tarts

2011-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

How normal Jon Benet appears now!

I found myself watching Toddler's and Tiaras the other night and I just couldn't tear myself away! It made me think back to the old days when poor beauty princess Jon Benet Ramsey was the topic of conversation. Jon Benet all decked out in finery with teased hair and lip gloss - everyone seemed unsettled that a child would be presented this way.

Well, the new beauty queens put poor Jon Benet to shame! It is downright disturbing how much these little kids go through to win an award. Fake eyelashes on a two year old! Spray tan! Fake teeth and nails! Wigs! These children are outfitted to resemble dolled up tarts! And the poor tots who can't afford all the luxury of a pageant stylist or coach run through their routine resembling, well, normal girls. Unfortunately, they pale in comparison to the sexed up versions and typically lose a crown of any size. Lesson learned - normal is not acceptable.

The girls, including the youngest ones who are carried by their mothers, go through the routines - casual wear, swim wear, talent, and party wear, vying to win not just the divisional crown but the supreme beauty crown. Kids who simply win the divisional are disappointed; moms say "oh, we are sad she didn't win supreme but I guess this will do - this time." They also give out awards for Best Hair (really meaning best wigs), Best Smile, and Best Outfit.

Of course the moms, along with several dads, justify the pageants as being only for fun, the child enjoys it (as they scream in agony over the eyelash glue), and only being done because the child wants to do it. But what kind of values are we teaching the small girls? I've heard that a child's values and moral compass are set in place by the time they are six; if they have been judged for their beauty with accomplishments measured by the amount of lip gloss, big hair, or outfits, what kind of internal confidence will allow them to face the hardships life presents?

To Satisfy a Craving

2011-08-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

I'm toying with the idea of getting hair extensions and I've actually made an appointment for this coming weekend. We'll see if I chicken out. The extensions are from real human hair, they can be colored, curled, etc. I'm really excited about finally having long hair, well, long hair from more than likely a Hindu virgin who sacrificed her hair as part of a religious ceremony. Only blond.

I'm looking for something like this:

Not this:

Or this:

Not this:

And definitely not this:

I Bid Adieu to the SUV

2011-08-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

It only took two to give me a final sale on the Sequoia! I sold it today to the second person to look it over - a family man with his wife and two kids. They were very happy with it and I was happy to have some cash in my pocket! I've owned that rig since my second marriage; I bought it after test driving my sister's duplicate rig and decided it was the car for me. Driving in the snow, hauling tons of kids, and even camping in the back - that Toyota was good to me. I'll miss it but the feeling of having bills paid along with smaller insurance bill more than makes up for the loss.

Condensing My Makeup Routine

2011-08-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

New cosmetic box

I got tired of digging through my makeup train case that sat on my bathroom counter so last night I condensed the items that I frequently use into a cute little pink box. This should make my morning makeup routine much faster!

Did I get rid of my extra makeup? Of course not! All of that got tucked away into my bathroom cupboard along with the rest of my cosmetics, hair products, and perfume. A Diva never knows what type of day it will be so she must have an ample supply of options at the ready!!!

Tons of options at my fingertips!

Vitamin D for Diva

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I recently had my blood tested per doctor's orders. Although these tests ended up costing me $532 because they hit my deductible, they were valuable. My doctor discovered I have a very, very low level of Vitamin D. She put me on a high dosage of prescription Vitamin D for two months to boost my levels then I will take over-the-counter D from then on. And just why is Vitamin D important?

Well, of course I had to do a little search for the reasoning behind possessing a healthy level of Vitamin D. I ran across a perky Katie Couric video which you may also find useful as well as informative.

TGIF!!!

2011-08-05T06:38:00.000-07:00

Work Does Have a Few Perks!!

2011-08-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sam and four of his buddies spent a day at my work site today, enjoying the water park. Sambo just got a haircut using a No. 2 clipper....very short!! But he's still handsome! The boys had a great time, went down the Tornado Slide, swam, and even ate pizza with Mom for lunch!

Giving the stud muffin pose

That Which Doesn't Kill Me, Makes Me Stronger.....Right???

2011-08-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

I finally made the difficult decision to sell my beloved blue Toyota Sequoia, which I've owned since its birth in 2003. I love that rig. However, due to my commute, I've only been driving my little black Kia, which blows the Sequoia to shame with its MPG.

I placed my Toyota on Craig's List; I also made plans for a road trip to see my brother in the Tri Cities this weekend as he has a potential buyer for the SUV. I got a couple of calls on the rig yesterday so last night after work I hopped in to back it out of the garage, turned the key......and got nadda. Click, click, click. WTF???

After trying to start the beast several times, I trekked across the road to my neighbor Larry, who is a car aficionado and fixer extraordinaire. Larry came over and cleaned the battery connections, sprayed a little something, and asked me to start the car. More click, click. I almost burst into tears. He said "calm down...it's probably the starter and will be an easy fix." Yeah right. So that is our project tonight - a new starter.

I think old Blue knows her time has come and will only go kicking and screaming. That vehicle has never given me any problems but yet here it comes time to sell her and bam! Refuses to start. Stubborn old gal!

Keep your fingers crossed for me that this is an easy and inexpensive fix. I'll miss ya, Blue, but do me a favor and go quietly!!

Update - God smiled upon me as it turns out I simply had a dead battery. Charged it for a few hours and the rig started like a champ!! Whew...no fix-it bills for the Diva!!

Kudos to the Coupon Queen

2011-08-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law, Diva Angie, is the coupon queen!! Take a look at the following receipt, where she spent 19 cents for $52.87 in groceries!! All I can say is fabulous!!!

Pure Romance in the Air

2011-08-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Diva Andrea, I've agreed to host a Pure Romance party in August. No so much for the products but more of a chance to get my girlfriends together for a night of laughter, as well as a chance to celebrate my new Single Divadom!

If you didn't receive an Evite from me but you want to attend, send me an email!!! It should be a night to remember!!

Mine All Mine

2011-08-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

The boys are always jacking my nail clippers so when I ran across these at Fuego this past weekend, I had to have them!! There's something to be said about surrounding yourself with items that put a smile on your face. These do the trick for me!!

A Sunday Made for Zip Lining

2011-07-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Jordan had quite the adventure today - his buddy invited him to go zip lining! He went with his friend's church youth group to the Tree to Tree Adventure Park in Gaston, Oregon. Jordan, who inherited a bit of the anxiety gene from his mama, was a little trepidatious to be tackling such an experience. He has never been one for heights but he dug down deep, tackled his fears, and accepted the invitation.

Apparently the park is more of an in-the-air obstacle course rather than just zip lining. Jordan said there were five courses, each one with greater difficulty. Of course he and his friend hit all five, starting at 10:00 am and not finishing until 2pm.

I asked Jordan to take pictures but I haven't seen them yet so here are a few pix from the park website.

Sunday Morning Creep Show

2011-07-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

Recently Doug Hutchison, 51, actor from The Green Mile, married 16-year old country singer Courtney Stodden. Gross. What a dirty old man. However, I ran across this video today and I must say that Doug seems like the normal one here. Can you believe this gal is 16? Whoa. She must be a 16-year old channelling a 60 year old Botoxed drag queen. It's a little disturbing.

Oh Yeah....That's Why I Don't Wear These Shoes!!

2011-07-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was digging through my closet this morning, looking for some flip flops to throw on for my day into town. Ahhh..here are some black flip flops...how come I never wear these?

Well, it's just like those times you run across a cute bra in your dresser. You wonder "why haven't I worn this?", toss it on, then figure out part way through the day that it's digging into your side, poking you, or the straps are falling. There is a reason for why it hasn't been worn!!

That's what happened with my shoes! And of course I didn't notice it until I was on the freeway - too late to turn around. Yikes!! Marty the tattoo artist (see my previous post) even washed my one foot for me it was so bad. I had to explain that no, I was not grubby...this was an accident, a shoe disaster that had been forgotten with time, and a mistake that will never be repeated.

Once these pictures were done, my little black flip flops were marched over to the kitchen wastebasket and tossed!!

A Day Filled With Tutorials, Temptation and Tattoos

2011-07-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today after grocery shopping with Jordan, I picked up Diva Shelly and we headed to Vancouver. First stop - Vancouver aka Westfield Mall. Hit Sephora - I picked up a cool Lorac Real Life To Red Carpet Natural To Dramatic Face Tutorial, which included some killer lip gloss, masacara, eye liner, blush, and trio eye pallette. We then browsed the shops until my alarm went off for the witching hour so we headed over to Blue Moon Tattoo Shop to get my you-know-who tattoo fixed.

The temptation must have been too much because Shelly decided it was time to get another tattoo as well! We spent initial time leafing through the designs; Shelly decided on a Gerber type daisy while I already knew I wanted to change my old tat into "Sexy" - if owner Marty could do it. I also toyed with the idea getting a Diva tattoo on my ankle.

Marty had me hop up on the table, then pulled the back of my shirt down and taped it. Although I had worn a cute leopard bra for the occassion, I was glad I didn't have to schuck my shirt in order for him to update the tattoo. Then, pen in hand, he set to work. He showed me the design, I conferred with Shel, then I said go for it! Oooh, and it hurt. You sit there and grit your teeth; sometimes, there won't be pain for a while so you think you are over the "bad part". Nope, you are wrong and it hurts some more. Good thing I have a high tolerance for pain due to all the hair pulling and hitting with my siblings during my childhood!

When Marty was done with my back, I assessed the damage (from what I could see with the handheld mirror) and proclaimed its success. I then told him I wanted a Diva scroll tattoo on my ankle with a high heel shoe. He chuckled (now, this is a man with long gray hair, tied in a ponytail, and beard....he does guide fishing on the side) and said "what kind of Saturday is this??" He's a funny guy. He regaled us with fishing stories which helped to keep my mind off the pain he was inflicting.

Marty drew out the Diva/shoe design on my ankle, we discussed, and he went to work. He automatically knew that high heel had to be hot pink!! He said he put a few white highlights in the tattoo but that will be more easily seen once it has healed all the way.

Meanwhile, Shelly was on the table next to me, ankle bared, with Dale tattooing her flower design. From the outside, it looked like we were handling ourselves pretty good. However, if you looked closer, you could see our hands gripping the edges of the padded tables or hear me inhaling and exhaling deeply. Tats can be pretty painful but I can definitely see how they can be addictive. One customer in the shop had over 30 tattoos....ouch!!

I took a few pictures of Shelly's tattoo experience but as for me, I don't watch while the artist performs his work. It's too much anticipation for my pain....I'd rather sit and look the other way just like when getting my blood drawn.

Finally we were done, we paid up and went to celebrate our new (and fixed) tattoos at Applebees for dinner. Thanks Shelly for being there with me to rid myself of the old and celebrate a new life fit for a Diva!!

Diva and shoe on my ankle

Sexy Diva!

Sexy close up

Artist Dale at work on Shelly

Shelly's new flower

Matt Has that Creative Spin!

2011-07-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing my family has, it's creativity! My nephew Matt placed the following ad in Craig's List for his car. It only took 15 minutes to sell for double his goal price of $1,000 bucks. Kudos Matt!!!

For sale: 1999 Subaru Legacy “Smashed Up” Special Edition

It is with great sorrow that I must sell my wicked awesome 5-speed manual AWD Subie wagon. I am Anchorage bound this month and do not feel I will need her faithful service any longer. I am asking $125,000 but my price is extremely negotiable. It’s hard to put a price on the great times we’ve had together. I picked up this gem on the side of HPR in February. She didn’t drive, but being a mechanic and a poor college student, I decided she would make a perfect project car. Over the course of six months or so I made the following repairs and modifications (most of which I have receipts for):

Replaced brakes & amp; rotors (front), clutch, left-front tire, and spark plugs.

“Smashed Up” Special Edition includes:

• Tired of losing your keys? No problem! I installed keyless push button ignition. Guaranteed to make you feel like a spaceman (or woman) every time you start your car.

• Do you confuse the turn signal and wiper levers? Not anymore! I replaced the confusing wiper lever with a convenient little switch on the dash.

• Want people to know when you’re home? Surprise, this beast’s exhaust is sure to wake your neighbors and impress your friends.

• Think bumpers are only for the cars at the carnival? Me too! The “Smashed Up” Special Edition comes with a removable front bumper. WOW! (bumper not included)

I know you’re thinking “There is no way this could get any better!” You better believe it.

• In addition to all this, as part of the “Smashed Up” Special Edition package, this Subaru come fully loaded with a smashed up stereo (with a free CD stuck in it!) AND a custom smashed up windshield (which should probably be addressed before driving.)

She runs and drives great, even in the snow. I’ve invested a lot of time into fixing her up so I could pass her on to the next college student/first time car buyer/demo derby fan. You’ve already invested your valuable time in this vehicle by reading this article; you might as well pick up your phone and call Matthew at (509) XXX-XXXX right now!

Seriously, right now.

Stop reading and call.

It’s a wicked sweet deal…and I need to sell it ASAP.

TGIF and a Little Murder!!

2011-07-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'll be starting my weekend off with a bang as I'll be attending a Murder Mystery dinner and show at Lucky Eagle Casino. I may even gamble - hey, there's nothing wrong with dropping a few nickels to take a chance on lady luck!!

Happy Weekend Divas!!!

Anjelah Johnson - Nail Salon

2011-07-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Diva Denise from work shared this little video with me yesterday. If you've ever been in a nail salon, you will find it spot on. Watch for a chuckle!

Before Meets After

2011-07-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Travel discounts arrive

Addressed in your name

No need to read them so

I simply press Delete

Habit repeats itself

As I crawl into bed

Sleeping on one side

Using only my pillow

I reach to adjust my ring

Brief panic ensues

Until remembering there’s a reason

For my naked finger

Acquaintances who stumble

Across my path

Ask of my marriage and I sigh

Tired of repeating the story

But…

Trip emails now arrive

In my name alone

Planning solo retreats with abandon

I simply press Accept

Replacing the bedspread

Each pillow now mine

Drifting off to sleep

Sprawled smack in the middle

Although unadorned

My fingers are strong

No ring is required

To make my heart sing

Fresh stories to tell

and share with my friends

The old chapter is closed

While a new adventure is written

Miu Miu on a Monday

2011-07-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

Before and After on the Porch

2011-07-24T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, the western theme has finally run its course! I had moved several items out to the back porch but decided I didn't even want to look at it there. So today I moved all of the remaining cowboy decor out to the garage. I then moved in a quilt table covering, vase with yellow flowers, cushions on the chairs, and transplanted my basil plant to a more Italian container. I also hung some lanterns; however, those may still reek of western so they may end up in the garage as well. Awww....so sunny!! So light!!!

Before

After

After - Basil Plant

Out with the Yellow and In with Good Taste!

2011-07-24T15:01:00.000-07:00

Blech

I spent this morning finishing up the downstairs bathroom. I took it from a God awful Canary Yellow (left) with western theme (y'all know who's idea that was) and returned it to a calm Italian theme to match the redecoration in the house. After painting and covering up the ranch border, I installed a new scroll border. I removed the old standard mirror and installed a more ornate one I picked up at Big Lots. I then added a candle sconce ($3.99 on clearance from Ross, which I filled with rocks from my front yard), a picture, star candle holder, and new towel rack which was a $3 bargain at Goodwill. You can also see a little purple flowered topiary which was a freebie from Diva Lynn.

New Scroll Border

Love this new mirror

Old curtains