Mac Pigments 4 Less

I have only just begun to experiment with pigments, but in learning about them the first thing I noticed is that they come in gargantuan sizes - I mean in life time, Costco™, super-sized amounts. Thusly, they are expensive. In order to sample many different colours and NOT be committed to life time amounts - I have ordered mine from an online store called 'TheBodyNeeds" at www.thebodyneeds2.com where the product comes (1/4 teaspoon) in little 3-5 gram screw top jars. These are the perfect size, and cost around 1.99 each so you can try as many as you like. I'm not sure I could use up even 1/4 teaspoon, it's more than you think, as the product goes a long way. If you find that you really love a certain color and are using more of it, then buy the original size. Here are my favorites so far:

• Naked

• Melon

• Blue Brown

Something else I have discovered...Lancome's Art Liner (the absolute best liquid eye liner - truly) retails for an astounding $38 at Sephora here in Canada, but you can pick this up, along with many other great bargains at another online store called www.beautyisrelative.com for $14. Now that is a bargain, not too much more than drugstore, oh so smooth to apply. It takes the 'tricky' out of liquid liner.

Rice for Two

Rice is very important to this family; if Mano doesn't have rice, then no one can be happy. He needs rice and an onion to be happy. His mom used to pack an onion in her purse, when he was little, any time they went out, because he wouldn't eat with out one. When we had the recent rice scarcity a few months back, I stopped at every grocery store along the way home to pick up the rice I could...I now have a years supply of rice so that Mano's mental health is never put to the test again:)

Isn't this a pretty home for rice?

These lovelies can be found on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/dbabcock

Timmy Love

Thank you for the LOVELY flowers Timmy! You are a peach:)

NieNie

Find Stephanie at nieniedialogues.blogspot.com

100 Things About Me

I am up to 56. Whew, it's hard work coming up with 100 tidbits that paint the picture of 'me'. It should be easy, but au contraire.

Lush - Well, You Learn Something Every Day

I repurchase this Dream Cream on a regular basis, among a couple of other products (I'll list my favorites below) from Lush. In Canada, its $24.95. I learned today that if you order directly from the UK - with the exchange (to Canadian dollars), the cost is $14.50. That is a big difference! On an order of several items, with the shipping, it's still worth the effort of placing the order from the UK.

Here are my Lush Favorites:

1. Dream Cream

2. Big Shampoo ( LOVE LOVE LOVE) (Curly Wurly is also wonderful, if you don't mind picking out bits of coconut from your hair when you get out of the shower)

3. Retread Conditioner

4. Smitten Hand Cream

5. Lush Deodorants (any - they all work!)

6. Honey I Washed the Kids soap

7. Prince shave cream

There are products that I feel Lush is more well known for, but that I think are expensive and don't really do anything - this category includes the bath bombs, bars, a lot of the soaps, facial concoctions etc.

Blog Design

I have a need for variety, and can't seem to settle on a blog design. It's a good thing that I am not a major corporation like COKE™ or APPLE™ because if I were, I would have significant brand issues. Happily, I am just a woman who likes to design blog pages, so it doesn't matter if I change my blog design every month or so...it may require a double take on your part, to make sure you are in the right place.

Have you noticed I appear to have a penchant for birds? There is a reason for this. (Mariah recently asked Mark "What's with all the birds around here?") My grandchildren come to visit my home, and when they do, all our birds out. We have chrome birds, ceramic birds, glass birds. They love to gather them, and wrap them in dish towels, or 'nests' and make bird families. I will find them wrapped up in a corner, or tucked under a cushion. It is a special and regular 'thing' that we share. They know that they are allowed to play with any of the birds, which are actually here for them. In fact, I picked up a little white ceramic bird today at The Urban Barn, for $3.50. It will be on display for my grandchildren when they come in 2 weeks:)

I also have a thing for Poppies and pugs...a tribute to our beloved and belated pug, Poppy. I have a sign in my back entry that says 'Stay Calm and Love Pugs'. That is my motto!

Apple

OK, I have to post about AAPL (the name I know it best by) again, because this baby is going up, up, up. I like Apple, and yes, I realize I am not alone in my 'like'. I have an iPhone, so do each of my 3 sons, as does my hubby, and do we have iPods? Yes we do. Do we have computers? Only 6, all of my children including Sarra, and I have two:) If you are interested in learning about stocks, keep a close eye on AAPL. It's a fun one to watch.

Fun Giveaway!

The ladies at Lime Ricki are being so generous to offer the lucky winner of this giveaway a top and bottom of their choice! All of their tankinis and one-piece suits offer full-coverage, great fabric quality, and inner support (you know what I mean). I'm so excited to wear my Lime Ricki suit asap!

To enter the giveaway:

• visit Lime Ricki and mention which suit is your favorite in your comment (see below)
• Leave your comment here: http://www.aroomsomewhere.net/2010/04/lime-ricki-swimwear-giveaway.html
• Check back Wednesday to see if you have won!

What is a snob?

I have included the definition of snob, for your perusal. In my opinion, it refers most to looking down on others, not so much to appreciating pretty things, whether they come from the handmade community, the store, or the BargainFinder. It is not a nice word to use for someone that you care about, especially when used thusly: '...a total snob' which is: a) a vast generalization, and b) again is not applied correctly to people, but to things. If you have been called a snob, because you like to collect items, utilitarian and not, that are pretty and functional...then I feel badly for you, and I can relate, b/c it has happened to me too.

I have also included the definition for backbite (see below).

snob

  [snob]

–noun

1.

a person who imitates, cultivates, or slavishly admires social superiors and is condescending or overbearing to others.

2.

a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field: a musical snob.

back·bite

   [bak-bahyt]

–verb (used with object)

1.

to attack the character or reputation of (a person who is not present).

–verb (used without object)

2.

to speak unfavorably or slanderously of a person who is not present.