getting back...

it's been a while since i've posted here...
during the past few weeks, facebook has become a larger part of my day. more than it probably should, honestly. but, it's enabled me to catch up and find some lost friends. and, since four and twenty crowbars had become a lost friend as well, i decided to start back up again.

i love facebook because i found my old roommate from college...two kids later...and discovered that one sorority sister is married to my big sis's brother. i've reconnected with high school friends scattered across the country. it's been a blessing wrapped in awesome pieces of flair.

still surviving the dust bowl that is santa fe, i've been promoted to spa director, so i'm responsible for the whole show. it's been a fantastic experience, although none of us know what the current economic situation will bring, and the hospitality industry is hurting.

while i love my job and the people i work with, i miss my friends and family on the eastern side of the mississippi. it's hard to get home for a weekend, and there are a lot of times where a visit would be the shot in the arm i need to get through the next weeks and months. but the holidays are fast approaching which brings me to holiday beauty recommendations!

as we all know, the holiday season is a scary thought for our credit cards. here are a few lower priced items that i love for this holiday...

sephora brand heated eyelash curler...$16

my sister is getting one of these...she has shorter eyelashes, and using this before putting on her great lash will really help her eyes pop.



tweezerman mini slant tweezers...$14

everybody needs a great little pair of tweezers for their makeup bag.



sephora brand bubble bath...$16

this bubble bath is light and bubbly, and the fragrances are awesome...not too overpowering.



indigo wild assorted zum bag...around $20

everyone loves this bag...mini sizes of some of indigo wild's best products...all organic too!



sephora brand ultimate blockbuster palette - collector's edition...$48

the makeup junkie's dream gift...full of shadows, glosses, blushes, everything you need!


dr. pepper spf 15 lip balm...$9

love the old school tins...these are limited edition, so i'm stocking up.

Happy Shopping!

searching for new...

product lines here at my spa...

So far, we're looking at...

[comfort zone]

ilike by szep elet

luzern laboratories

and eminence organics

Does anyone have any experience with any of these lines? Or feedback?

Maybe...

Maybe I spoke too soon...or didn't give my silly skin a proper chance to regenerate, but those pesky milia are disappearing! YEAH!!!

Very happy. And, I got my hair did today...I'm feeling almost human again.

Things I'm digging today...

My Nine West Red Patent Heels

Unclutterer...it's totally Spring Cleaning time!

EShave Shaving Soaps...lots of lather...and it lasts for months!

And my awesome stylist, Serena. Sometimes a haircut makes you feel human again...especially when you have a mullet.

Ugh...

Is it my late 20s? Stress? Hormones? Ugh.

I'm having more breakouts now...at 29...than I ever did as a teenager. Sometimes I can track them with hormones/cycles...more often than not there is no rhyme or reason to the breakouts. On top of that there is a cluster of bumps (milia? cystic acne? Dunno) to the right of my mouth...on my chin. (It's not the cell phone...much too small.)

SO...I won't try Proactiv...much too harsh. I've also stopped being the aesthetic guinea pig for work...I've been on the philosophy Makeup Optional for Congested Skin. While I've noticed a more even tone, and minimized pore size (ahem...after I ruthlessly clear them out) the cluster of milia at my chin is standing firm.

Anyone have any suggestions?

holiday time!

with the holidays upon us, things get pretty hectic, at least in my world.

holiday parties to attend (the first of mine were last night, and i have to admit that i'm hurting this morning) and special events to plan.

here in santa fe, christmas is about as close to magical as you can get. adobe homes and businesses are lined with farolitos...like luminarias in the rest of the world. it is truly a beautiful sight coming into the city early in the morning and seeing it lit with the linear precision that can only come in santa fe.

in the spa world, christmas time can be slow in the treatment area which is nice so we can enjoy some of the other activites at the hotel. my pet project for this holiday season is our spa open house...an evening of canapes, wine tasting, paraffin hand treatments, door prizes, mini-massages, and retail discounts. if you're in santa fe on friday the 21st, drop by La Posada and see what we're up to!


since the holidays are a stressful time, i'm seeing my skin, well, explode. always convenient. i'm always subjecting my face to different products and techniques, and it's been ages since i've been on an actual regime. after doing some research (i'm a combination girl, with blackheads, the occasional eruption, and milia) i decided to try the garnier fructis system. so far, so good. i'm using the nutri-pure gel cleanser...very nice...good deep clean without tightness. the skin renew serum and moisturizer are light but effective, even in the dry santa fe climate. the skin renew home microderm is nice too...if you try this be careful not to exfoliate too hard...this product works so well that you don't need to put in any elbow grease.

happy holidays!

i heart ispa...

for those of us that work in the spa industry, the ispa conference is like mecca...gotta go once a year...

this year, i wasn't able to go, but my boss was...and he brought back SO many samples for me to try it's not even funny...i heart my job.

so, last night began the testing with a couple brands that are pretty popular...jane iredale and eminence organics.

today was a big day for me...more on that in a bit...so last night i scrubbed the face with eminence organics pear and poppy seed microderm polisher

eminence is an organic, animal free line that is extremely active...that's not to say it's not easy to use...it doesn't take much of this polisher mixed with a touch of water to not only give a great exfoliation, but also to vasodilate the skin...my face was left with a great pink glow, and i have tough skin. this morning, my face was still smooth and glow-y...awesome.

the other thing i tried out is another kind of exfoliator...this one for lips from jane iredale...



this sugar and butter lip duo is small and compact, but packs a whollop. the exfoliator side is a shea butter and turbinado sugar base that gave my extremely chapped lips a good exfoliation, without irritating them. less impressed with the lip plumper side, although it is a nice lippy...it doesn't have the same kick as, say, duwop's lip venom.

today was a big day because miss sadie and i had our photos professionally taken! norah from kibbles 'n pix met us down on one of the most picturesque streets in santa fe and snapped sadie and i for about an hour. looking forward to seeing the results...but if you're in the area and need a fantastic photographer for either humans/animals or a combo of both, check out norah's work. she's a pleasure...

sadie was pretty well behaved, but canyon road was pretty darn busy with pedestrians and cars, so she kept getting distracted...once we got in the car to head back home, she passed out with a light snore...it's tough being a supermodel.

i'm back...

it's been an interesting few months...for those two people who were reading my blog, i was in the middle of a career move, which is finally complete. i accepted a position at la posada de santa fe resort and spa as the spa manager, and i love it. it's a great position with some fantastic benefits...and i've moved to santa fe, new mexico.

my mutt sadie and i made the cross country trip on labor day weekend...sadie ended up spending most of the trip passed out in the seat next to me...only waking up when she sensed it was time for some fast food.

she was the perfect co-pilot.

we've settled into a great attached apartment out in the country, about 15 minutes from the resort. sadie gets to play on about three-quarters of an acre while i work and for some reason, she's turned from a lovely white to a nice adobe color...i can't keep her clean to save my life.

lots more product recommendations to come...right now i'm loving some products from phytomer and tara spa therapy.

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Now playing: Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe
http://foxytunes.com/artist/sonny+%26+cher/track/i+got+you+babe

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Now playing: Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe
http://foxytunes.com/artist/sonny+%26+cher/track/i+got+you+babe

non-toxic life...

since i've been gainfully on the dole, i've been trolling the internet for all things organic/non-toxic. so much of my beauty research has led to the discovery that all natural really is better for you and your skin, and i'm finding that living a non-toxic life really isn't all that hard, or expensive.

one of my favorite new websites is modern cottage. em is full of all sorts of ideas...including an awesome recipe for homemade laundry detergent. i'm using it now and LOVE it...everything smells clean, but without the whiff of chlorine. you can find that recipe here.

my hero megan at not martha also has some great ideas on organization and better living through organics.