Make-Up Monday: Friends and Family

It is that glorious time of year when Sephora gives 20% off to their friends and family!

Here is what is going into my cart:

(Love this stuff.  Like, when I finished the last tube, I kept peering down into the bottom like maybe there was a tiny bit left.  That kind of love.)

(So many months of coveting this palette.)

Waiting

(Who's going to tell this guy we might be moving?)

We put a bid in on a house, and we have been waiting to hear back for approximately a thousand years now.

It is like waiting for a cute boy to call, except instead of obsessively checking some boy's Facebook, I am obsessively checking realtor.com.

This is the same house that we put a bid on a couple weeks ago, only to be told that another bidder had gotten there first.  Then, we got a call that the other bidder's financing had fallen through!

To quote Grizz from 30 Rock, "It's like a roller coaster ride of emotion in here."

Anyone have a great story about how it took them a long time to get into a new house, but then it turned out perfectly and they lived happily ever after?  Anyone?

Three Things

1. Remember that time I didn't blog for a whole month?  It was, well, the whole last month. The combination of school, work and grad school has me running around like a crazy person.  

(And the fact that one of my grad classes is a history course with approximately 13 million pages of reading each week?  Not really helping.)

2. We have officially begun house hunting! It is all very grown-up and scary, and the words "30-year fixed mortgage" have become a part of our daily conversations.

3. I very much want this purple dress from Old Navy to come hang out in my closet and maybe take me out to dinner every once and a while. 

(Hair and) Make-Up Monday: Garnier Fructis Pure Clean

Oh, this shampoo and conditioner.

They smell amazing.

Seriously, ah-ma-zing.

And they are pretty earthy-crunchy with no silicones or parabens or dyes.

The shampoo feels like most other shampoos, but the conditioner is definitely lacking in something.  It works just fine, but it doesn't have that sleek feeling that I like in a conditioner. (I'm pretty sure that sleek feeling is the magic of silicones).

Also, the conditioner doesn't do much for my already frizzy hair.

Still, the smell totally makes up for it, and I am obsessed with how good my hair smells right now.

If you run into me, and you want to smell my hair, I'm totally cool with that.

For Going Out, Of Course

Let's talk about this top from Old Navy.

Cute, right?

I love the little print and the pockets and the scoop neck.

But, my favorite part is that it is called the "Going Out Blouse."

Don't you feel like someone's grandma named it that?

Make-Up for Lost Sleep Monday

I am switching classrooms, and I spent my day moving bookshelves and cleaning out my super messy desk.

I am headed to bed with a copy of Mockingjay and plan to get some sleep.  (Though I have to admit that the Hunger Games series is the main reason I have been so tired lately!)

Make-Up Monday: Urban Decay Naked Palette

If I had a tree in the backyard that grew Sephora gift cards, I would buy this palette in a heartbeat.

(There is not a single shade in there that I don't like.)

I can see why this was one of those can't-keep-it-on-the-shelves items when it first came out.

If (hypothetically) my birthday were three months away, would it be too early to start making a wish list?

Reason #58984 That Marriage is the Best

Me: Hey, is this dress too short to wear without leggings?

Mr. Kinne: I don't know.  Bend over like you're picking something up.

(Pause)

Mr. Kinne: Yep, I can see your whole backside.

Me: Awesome. I'll grab those leggings.

A Love Story

There I was, in the Banana Republic Outlet, minding my own business, when Beth said, "Look at this dress!"

And, right there on the spot, I fell madly, deeply in dress-love with this ruffly little black dress with tiny grey deer on it.

I tried to resist its charms-- and its higher-than-I-wanted-to-pay price tag, but Beth and I ultimately decided I would be kicking myself later if I just left it there on the hanger.

So, it came home with me, and we made a date to attend my cousin's wedding together.  (Mr. Kinne tagged along, too).

My fabulous little deer dress was the perfect date, and we will definitely be going out together more in the near future.

(The beautiful bride, my deer dress and me)

Keeping My Head Up

Here's the thing.

I won't say that the ocean cured me of my heartache.

But a few days by the water and one amazing lobster roll really did help.

(I wish I had a picture of this miraculous lobster roll, but I was too busy eating it)

I won't lie-- we are still struggling a little bit here at the Kinne house. 

Mr. Kinne's job situation is very much up in the air.  He was working as a building substitute at the same school for a few years, and he got passed over for a history position that opened up.  (He is a total history nerd, and he would have been amazing at that job.) I keep reminding him that he will end up right where he is supposed to be-- but that doesn't make the job search any less frustrating.

I am (still) not knocked up, but I've been to a couple doctor's offices recently where we have started looking into why exactly that might be.  I actually had to put off a procedure because the only available appointment was during our trip to the Cape. (I am starting to feel like infertility could really get in the way of living life if you let it!)

But, the hardest thing for me is that, a couple weeks ago, my dad moved clear across the country.  To be honest, it is kind of the worst.  My dad is one of my very favorite people on the planet, and I would like him to be on the same part of the planet as me.

(This is my dad in 1972, driving cross-country and generally being awesome).

I respect his reasons for leaving, and I think this could be really good for him.  But, completely selfishly, I am going to miss having him around.

Still, I am trying my very best to remain positive, especially because life is full of so many wonderful things.

For example, I am going to be moving into a classroom with a Smartboard in just a few weeks.  (My very own Smartboard!)

And, there is still such a thing as Nutella in the world.

So, things aren't all bad, are they?

Life is Tough Sometimes

Well, it has been an emotionally exhausting few weeks.  People we love have had to deal with heartbreaking loss, and we had to say a very difficult goodbye.

I would like to hide out here for just a little while:

Make-Up Monday: Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Hot Pink

I love lipgloss.

I mean, I have three or four in my purse at all times.

But, this Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss will not be added to my purse collection. It is a little too frosted, and the texture is a little too much like lipstick.

It looks like the kind of lipgloss that Barbie would wear.

And, I always thought of myself as more of a Midge.

(via Flickr)

Garlic Knots

I am going to pretend it's not a million degrees outside, and I am going tell you about something I baked in my actual oven.

However, if it is also a million degrees where you are, I can understand your reluctance to turn on your actual oven.

But, when it cools down a bit, promise me you'll make these magical garlic knots from Live Love Pasta?

The knot itself isn't anything to write home about, but when you add the garlic topping?  Something miraculous happens.

And, while you wait for the temperature to drop, feel free to make the equally magical chocolate peanut butter ice cream from the same site.

(Full disclosure: Beth made the actual ice cream in this picture. I just ate it.)

Make-Up Monday: Beauty in a Box

Sephora has these great little collections marked down to ten dollars.

I wouldn't mind adding the Brown Smoky Eyes Palette and the Starter Kit Brush Set to my collection.

Let's be real.  I sort of want them all.

Make-Up Monday: Sephora by OPI's Cab Fare

True Story: 

I wore this lovely yellow nail polish to one of my recent doctor's appointment, and I had the following exchange with my very nice doctor...

Dr.: Um, are your nails always that color? Or...

Me: Oh, no, this is nail polish.

Dr.: Oh, good! Because I was worried...

Me: Oh my gosh, no, they're supposed to be that color.

Dr.: That's... cool.

(I don't think she really thought they were cool.)

(I checked sephora.com, and it appears that this color is no longer available.  That is sad, because everyone should have a nail polish that matches Barney)

Well, Hello Again

Well, I'm not sure where these last few weeks have disappeared to.

I have been a busy bee, with the end of the school year and the end of the semester of grad school and the start of summer school.  

On top of that, we have been dealing with some challenges both emotionally and financially.  I have been in and out of doctors' offices over these last few weeks, and Mr. Kinne's job situation for the fall is a bit up in the air. If you have any extra good thoughts, please send them toward the Kinne house.  (Thanks so much.)

But, it is not all doom and gloom, I promise!  We have been having plenty of fun now that summer has arrived in New England.

Like, for instance, when we saw Mr. James Taylor himself at Tanglewood.  We got to sit around a picnic blanket with some of our favorite people and drink riesling and eat caprese salad.  It was fabulous-- and exactly what we needed.

Also looking fabulous is my garden this year.  I have eggplant and tomatoes and lettuce sprouting.  And today when I went to check?  There were honest-to-goodness green beans!  

I am in love with my little garden.

I am also in love with Downton Abbey which I just finished watching instantly on Netflix.  It is a sweet and dramatic and gossipy, and you should probably start watching it if you haven't already.

Plus, our cat? His furry orange face is still providing us with non-stop entertainment.

I Think This Dress Is My Density

This dress from Ruche is so floaty and perfect, and it makes me wish I were attending an Enchantment Under the Sea dance at some point in the near future.

(Hair and) Make-Up Monday: To Feather or Not to Feather

That is the question.

You see, I think hair feathers are kind of adorable.

But, years from now, will I look at pictures from 2011 and say, "Aw, remember hair feathers?"

(from RealBeauty.com)

Because I think there is I distinct chance I will say, "Seriously, younger self? You look like you have fishing lures sewn into your hair."

Jason Segel Plus Muppets Equals Awesome

Now we just have to wait until November 23rd for the actual movie.

In Case You Were Wondering

When you get invited to someone's house, and that someone eats a gluten-free diet, it is somewhat difficult to find something yummy to bring.

But, these fabulous peanut butter cookies?

They would work for just such an occasion.

(The dough was a crumbly mess, and I had my doubts about how they would turn out.  In the end they tasted like peanut butter, sugar and magic).

(Hair and) Make-Up Monday: Frizzy Hair Edition

The last week has been strange, in the wake of the tornado that touched down in our area.  We are working on healing and rebuilding, and I have been overwhelmed by the way the teachers in my building have just surrounded our kiddos with love.

In light of what has been going on, it seems a little silly to even mention, but... you guys, my hair has been ridiculous lately.  

It has been so humid, and I have been walking around with a halo of frizz.

(Just a little picture of me, my frizz and Brad Paisley)

Please share-- what do you use to tame your hair?  

(Please tell me that it is something fabulous and reasonably priced).

Unreal

Our area of Massachusetts was hit by tornados on Wednesday, and the aftermath has been devastating for many people.  Our friends and family are doing just fine, but many of my students live in the worst-hit areas.

If you could keep my kiddos and their families in your thoughts, that would mean a lot.

Make-Up Monday: Red, White and Blue

Today, I am thankful for a day off to lie on the couch and paint my nails red and watch trashy TV.  (Hello, OPI's High Maintenance and Secret Life of the American Teenager on Netflix!)

Of course, I also realize that Memorial Day has a much deeper meaning, and I am thankful for those men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.

In addition, I am thankful for Memorial Day picnics and blue stripe-y dresses and great minds who sometimes think alike.

I hope your weekend has been fun and relaxing and has involved several different kinds of dessert.

Leggings are Magic

Because leggings turned this slightly-too-short-for-work dress into a totally-appropriate-for-work dress.

Bibiddi bobbidi boo.

Keep Your Head Up

I don't know if I'm coming or going this week.

I have been spending time with my fabulous friends and their fabulous babies and taking my first graders on a field trip and trying to keep my head above water at grad school.

I heard this song on the radio on Monday morning, and it felt like the universe was sending me a message that everything is going to be just fine.

Just So You Know

- Bridesmaids is pretty flipping hilarious.  You should definitely go see it if you haven't already.

- This skirt from Old Navy is the longer version of my very favorite Old Navy jersey skirt.  I would like it to cost less than the 30 dollars that it currently costs.

- There is still no news on the pregnancy front.  There is, however, a slight chance that I found myself tearing up in the baby aisle at Stop and Shop yesterday.

(Lack of) Make-Up Monday

Phew, May is just one of those months.  There are so many graduations and showers and birthday parties and little sisters going to prom.

(O.k., just one little sister going to prom, but she looked fabulous, right?)

I would like to say that I've been bothering to do more than just my basic routine in the morning, but I definitely have not.

In fact, these past couple weeks I have been lucky if I leave the house fully dressed with mascara on.

(True confession: Sometimes I put the mascara on at red lights).

I would like...

... to see the movie Bridesmaids this weekend.

... to have someone else correct my kiddos' papers.

... a day on the couch to watch Psych on Netflix with Mr. Kinne.  (Have you guys seen this show?  It is pretty hilarious).

... a giant Oreo milkshake.

... and a straw.

Tiara Sold Separately

I was a ballerina once... for a few months... when I was five.

But, let's face it, this may have been the most adorable time in my life.

Can you blame me for wanting to re-live my glory days in this fabulous ballerina dress from Land's End Canvas?

That skirt was made for twirling.

Make-Up Tuesday: CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion Water Resistant Mascara

Here was the thought process I went through in picking this mascara.

"Well, I like the one in the orange tube..."

Yep, that was pretty much it.

But, it turns out the mascara in the purple tube makes my lashes look sort of wimpy.  It makes them a little longer, but they stay super skinny.

Next time, I might try the pink tube.

Two (Unrelated) Things

1. The royal wedding was perfect, wasn't it? It was like watching a Disney movie come to life.

And, I did end up making cupcakes for the big day.  They were a big hit at school.

2. Tomorrow is when the Calypso St. Barth collection comes to Target!

I don't have Mr. Kinne sold on the idea that we need a metallic Moroccan pouf for the living room.

Or, I should say I don't have him sold on the idea, yet.