Video Tutorials

I miss them. :( I had fun making them cause i'm all about makeuppyhaircosmo stuff, and I'm all about video editing. So it's like, win/win - 2 of my loves in one. But with my little man being bigger, napping less and wanting to play more, it just fell by the ol' wayside.
Plus, there are a LOT of tutorials out there and I'm by no means a pro at make up application, hair styling, etc. Most of my vids are just MY way of doing this or that, not the expert way.

I had a smokey eye tut that i recorded a long time ago and in the middle of editing, my computer freaked out and i lost everything. Even the captured footage. But i found the tape a few days ago, and am gonna get that bad gal uploaded once and for all! Then i'm gonna try to get some others recorded in the not-too-distant future.

So i need some ideas. Whaddya want me to demonstrate? What silliness shall i subject you to? What have you been wanting to see? Comment here or email me at carastarr28@gmail.com and give me some ideas!

I got a fix!

Welp, remember that ULTA gift card insanity? I STILL have the dang thing because it wouldn't work online, and I don't have an ULTA here. Today i got an email saying that from now until Sunday, (8/2) ULTA is giving away a Deluxe Sample Bag - (in addition to their usual 3 free samples with any purchase) - when you spend $25.

I lurve samples.
i lurve beauty products.
i lurve free stuff.

So i went browsing to see if anything jumped out at me...
And then i saw it - Bare Minerals Hydrating Mineral Veil! HUH?? How did i miss this? You know how using too much mineral veil can make your face feel tight and dry? Well this is meant to solve that problem! And since my skin is naturally on the dryer side, this sounds perfect. I ordered the kit which includes an antibacterial-treated Hydrate & Brighten Brush.

The only thing holding up the purchase was the gift card issue. I have refused to buy anything from ULTA until i could use the rewards i EARNED. So, like so many times before, i plugged in the numbers and VOILA! IT WORKED! YAY! I don't have to boycott anymore!!!! And i've got awesome goodies on the way!

BTW - If you decide to place an order to get the rad gift bag, be sure to try using the $3.50 off $10.00 coupon. The code is 22959. (Some products are excluded from this promotion, like Bare Minerals, dang it.) And if you spend $50 or more, you'll qualify for free shipping. :)

I'm having a craving.

I don't really need anything. And in this economy, shame on me for buying things i don't need. But i am having a MASSIVE craving to buy a cosmetic. Lipgloss. Eye Shadow. Anything.
I can't get to the mall for a few days, but i DO have to run to Blockbuster tonight, and there IS a CVS in the same strip. Maybe i'll find something there to hold me over.

Tyler made the paper!

Our local newspaper asked for submissions for a piece they were doing titled: "Kids Say the Darndest Things". So i sent in the tampon/dynamite story from last year and they loved it so much they made it the feature and changed the title to "The Dynamite Things Kids Say" with a big pic of a tampon dispenser! LOLOL!!! I was lol-ing about it all over again when i saw it in the paper this morning!

Foundations and Frames

No, not make-up foundation. :)

I got a call last Wednesday (The 8th) that our foundation had been poured a few days before and was curing, and that the lumber package was to arrive that Thursday or Friday. Art said if the lumber arrived that week, they would start framing. Shane and I wanted to go get pics of the foundation to go with our pics of the empty weed-riddled lot, the staked out frame, the footings, etc.

Shane had such a busy week that Thursday was his only day off. We thought it far-fetched that the framing would actually begin that week and decided to use our one day off to get a few errands done and take some time for R&R. Sunday, i was on my way out to a birthday party and passed thru the town where our house is going up. I thought i'd go by and get a peek at the foundation. Imagine my surprise when i come around the corner and see this:


BUSY BEE'S EH??? I was so excited!! I jumped out in my WHITE SHORTS and FLIP FLOPS and ran around looking at my new "house"! I didn't come prepared and had no markers to go write our names inside the walls, but we'll go back this week to do that. We also planned to put together a time-capsule to put inside of a wall before the sheetrock goes up. At this rate, we'd better get that peanut butter jar full of 2009 coins and the boys' drawings together QUICK!

In the meantime, the bank is calling about the house we've been renting. It was foreclosed on last month and they want us out ASAP, of course. So i'm trying to hold them off and while i'm totally shocked our house is coming along so quickly, i consider it a HUGE blessing cause we're going to be cutting it VERY close.

What is WRONG with me?????????

I am losing it. Cannnot make up my mind over this hair debacle.

So i tried something different with my hair last night. I think it's actually kind of cute. Not that i'd want a "messy" look everyday, but now i don't know WHAT to ask for at my re-cut tomorrow.

What do you think? (Excuse my no make-up. I took a late shower and wasn't about to put on my face to go to bed a few hours later...)

4 hair appointments later...

Weeelllll, On my trip to run errands before going to see Downtown Laura Brown, i stopped into a few other salons along the way. It really irks me when i feel like a stylist will say whatever to get you to let them do your hair, even though you're already a pitiful mess over your bad cut. And this is a short cut peeps. There isn't anymore room for mistake!

So i finally get over to Salon Valin and it's in a run-down strip mall. SOB! The parking lot is all busted up and the parking spots are too close together. The place looks like crap. When i got inside it did get better. Then i met Downtown, and she is not what i pictured. Maybe mid to late 30's, brownish-red hair underneath, barbie blonde on top, in a long, slightly a-line bob. She is really tan and wears a lot of makeup. (Not that that's bad... i've been known to wear a bit myself! heh.) She's a fast talker with a raspy voice and seems slightly put off by Caleb being there. (Until he charms her with his cuteness of course!) I'd never bring my kid to an actual appt, but this was just a consult and i had no choice. Overall she was friendly, and she listened to me whine.

i told her i feel ugly everyday. and bad hair makes your make-up look wrong, your clothes look wrong, and the world feel wrong. She agrees with me. (Can i get an amen ladies?) After examining my hair and lots of talking we made an appt. for Friday, but i got uneasy 'cause she seemed super determined to achieve the Kristin Cavallari bob that i was after originally. I don't want that anymore. I even told her that. Lets just fix the current mess.

So - as if it was meant to be, the stars aligned, fate intervened - there was road work going on that forced me to take a detour and it led me right past - MY salon. (It's actually called "Salon Salon". No joke.) So i take the sign from God and pull in. Ahhhh, like putting on your fave pair of comfy jeans, i slip into the gorgeous salon, with dimmed light sculptures and the BEST products lining the mod glass shelves... the faint sound of blow dryers and the hum of gossiping clients spilling it to their trusted hairdressers. People are happily congregated around the beverage bar chatting it up while sipping iced tea, the ladies at the front desk poise their fingers over their keyboards and ask me if i am there to check in. Suddenly, I felt dirty. Like i'd been out cheating in a seedy motel and had just arrived home to my faithful family greeting me with sincere smiles.

Lucky for me, they were able to squeeze me in between appointments on Friday, so i'ma give it one more shot before i decide to go elsewhere. I don't really wanna break up. I just hope we can get something cute going on atop my head before i officially hit 29+1.

Now to call and cancel with Downtown...

Downtown

Today has been another day of trying to make my wretched hair do something and me just hating it and almost breaking the mirror with my flat iron.

So i called a salon in town to see about coming in to talk about fixing it. The ad said INNOVATIVE CUTS. Yep. That's what i need. I tell her i need someone good with short cuts and with repairing BAD cuts.

The girl says "Can you come in today? Around 1:45, to see... downtown?"

I think to myself, ohhh it's downtown. Can i get back in time to get the boys picked up... "Okay. That should work. Who will i be seeing?"

"Downtown."

"Oh i know it's downtown, but who should i ask for when i come in?"

She laughs "You'll be seeing Downtown. 'Downtown Laura Brown'. She's the owner."

O. M. G. I just hope someone who has the cajones to call themselves "Downtown Laura Brown" is a REALLY good hairstylist.

Dumpin' meh BumpIts

I've had a few people ask me about the bumpits. Sorry i didn't review them. I felt like in order to give a decent review, i should use them, take pics, explain the process, etc. Problem is that i can't get the dang things to work very well at all. So everytime i set out to take some pics of them in action, it winds up being a bad hair day.

I received my bumpits about 2-3 weeks after ordering them. I was starting to believe it would be the entire 6-8 weeks they say in every infomercial. I was TICKED that i paid $7.95 S&H to get my "free" hollywood bumpit, and then ALL THE BUMPITS CAME IN ONE BOX! Total i received 2 regular ones, 2 tiny ones, and one gigantic one. I had paid $5 extra to get the ones that have this rubber gripper lining stuff. It was supposed to make them hold in my hair better.

Now, i have a lot of hair so i never thought concealing the device would be a problem. And as far as actually seeing it thru my hair - no problem there. But the "bump" it creates is very precise, and very noticable in my opinion. Because it is making one narrow section of hair stand up quite high, the hair around it can't compete, and you can "see" that the bumpit is there in my bouffant.

I've played around with them a few times with very little success. I have yet to wear one out of the house. Heck, i've not even worn one out of my bathroom! Maybe i just have a weird head. Or weird hair. i dunno. I'll say this much, it wasn't worth the $50 i paid.

So if you want to give them a try, don't order them like i did. Instead visit Sally Beauty Supply who now carries them. I've also heard that Walgreens has them. Better yet, write to me and ask for mine! LOL!

If you DON'T want to try them, but want the look, get inspired by Pursebuzz's method that uses no devices and very little teasing.

I think we're gonna break up.

I've been unhappy for a little while now. And recently it's gotten really bad. I can't stop thinking about it. Every morning it's consuming my mind while i get ready...

I need a new hairdresser.

When i first went to her, it was because i was referred by someone with hair like mine, (Thick, but fine, with natural curl.) with a style i wanted to get (a bob). I went from hair that was 30 feet long to the a-line bob that was so popular. I was happy. WE were happy. Oh how we gossiped. and laughed. and stared together at my new 'do. *sigh* we were so perfect together.

The last time i had the a-line trimmed up, i noticed right away something was wrong, and had to go back in and have it fixed. Then when i decided to grow out my hair, she cut it kind of wonky. There was a weird layer that just seemed entirely out of place. Due to major scheduling issues that she and I have, i wore that cut forever, and it was always in a pony tail.

This time i went in and showed her this pic of Kristin Cavallari, explained that i wanted a cool brown base with LOADS of blonde highlights, and she went to work. When she turned me around in the chair i almost cried. I had a massive bubble of hair around my face. and not the color i wanted. I kindly pointed out the things that didn't seem right to me cut-wise and she fixed it. She also smashed down the big bubble so it didn't look so poofy and it seemed better.

This was the end result that day:

I consider myself pretty decent at styling my own hair, but since the cut i've styled my own hair 3 times and something is just all wrong.

It seems like it's rounder at the top, and then goes down into a flip. It kind of reminds me of the old "Rachel" cut. ugh.

i'm so sad. i wanted to look hawt and i feel fugly. now i have the daunting task of trying to find someone new in time for my b-day party next month. & even though it's the best salon in town, i won't go to someone else where she works.