four and twenty crowbars

getting back...

2008-11-14T17:45:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-03-12T19:06:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-03-12T18:38:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-03-10T21:38:00.002-04:00

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!

2007-12-16T12:17:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-11-28T20:33:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-11-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-05-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

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.

mother's day ideas...

2007-05-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

i've been checking out some beauty gift ideas for mother's day...hope this helps on the hunt for the perfect gift for mom!

oscar blandi pronto dry shampoo

i'm getting this for my mom...she saw it on the view, of all awful shows, and thought it would be pretty neat. and, i've heard rave reviews about it...the dry shampoo puffs up your hair after a workout, or dries up oil in between washings.

benefit sheer creme blusher

creme blush is fantastic for skin that's a touch dry, or a bit mature. most women don't want the malibu barbie look for blush, and a sheer creme is the way to go.

make up for ever shine on compact

i heart make up for ever. this sheer, velvety powder adds the youthful glow to the skin all of us are looking for and sets foundation beautifully.

happy shopping!

woohoo...the best self tanner ever!

2007-04-28T12:53:00.000-04:00

i believe i have found the best self tanner...and a drugstore one at that!

st. ives healthy brilliance firm and glow kick butt. it doesn't streak, has caffeine and ginseng to help tone and tighten skin, and it smells great. i'm one of those self tanners that is lucky not to smell like burned ass after applying self tanner, so the smell of the st. ives is a coup in itself for me.

the color is true and subtle...not at all like elisabeth hasselbeck is looking on the view...ew.

i love this!

2007-04-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

as i was flipping through the little weekly usa today magazine in my sunday paper, i came across a strivectin-sd advertisment...not terribly unusual, right?

wrong. i saw their spokesperson.

ISAAC MIZRAHI! i heart isaac mizrahi for a number of reasons: overall fabulousness, being the first to team with target to create great clothes at a great price, and his style network show.

according to klein-becker, the manufacturer of strivectin...“Frankly, we didn’t turn to Isaac to sell StriVectin to women,” says Gina Gay of Klein-Becker. “Virtually every woman who knows anything about wrinkles already knows about StriVectin. It’s the #1 selling prestige skin cream in the entire world (including France, of all places). Instead, our goal was to reach men, the fastest growing segment of cosmeceutical buyers. Why did we choose Isaac? Well, like most everything we do, it was dumb luck. Our market research team stumbled on this unlikely fact… men trust Isaac just as much as women do; men actually like Isaac; and, men find Isaac engaging. That makes Isaac the perfect person to introduce StriVectin to men.” see the whole article here.

with so many more men reaching out to the spa industry, it's about time we see advertising reflecting this change!

off again...

2007-04-19T20:13:00.000-04:00

well, there are more decisions to be made soon...

first, i'm in the second/third round of interviews with the peninsula spa in chicago. very good gig...and at a five diamond resort no less. plus, my friends in the area tell me the peninsula is the place to be in chicago.

second, in talks with the spa consultant firm that runs the whiteface lodge in lake placid, new york. lake placid is a bit more remote, and really close to canada, eh!

whatcha think?

thought i was moving...

2007-04-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

but i decided against it...

i'll still have my vox page, but blogger provides me options for blogrolling that vox doesn't have the features for yet...

so, i'm sticking with blogger for now...

more important than makeup...

2007-04-01T00:23:00.000-04:00

as many might have realized from scrolling down my page, i am a democrat. not only am i a lifelong democrat, i support John Edwards for President.

Senator Edwards is the only candidate talking about energy independence, universal health care, eliminating poverty, and reclaiming America's good name throughout the world.

for those of you who read this, please take the time to read his platform. if you agree with his ideas, click the picture of Senator Edwards on this blog.

put your money where your passion is...contribute to Senator Edwards' campaign, and put a President in the White House that all Americans can be proud to call their Commander in Chief.

back to basics...

2007-03-26T23:40:00.000-04:00

since this is a skin care/makeup blog...it's time to get back to basics...here are a few things i'm loving right now...

100% Pure Lip Gloss
who wants to wear heavy lipstick now that the weather is getting warmer? this fruit pigment based lippy is 83% vitamin e and is all natural and 100% vegetarian. the pomegranate wine shade is perfect for most skin tones...where all you need is a little bitten lip color.

when it comes to nail lacquer, it's one extreme or another...

Lincoln Park at Midnight
is my pick for very, very dark...ideal for those of us who thought the traditional Lincoln Park After Dark was just too darn dark, this aubergine tint is trendy without being gothic.

Fancy Free
is my pick for very, very light...just perfect for your weekly manis and pedis. this spa ritual shade is VEGAN...as is the whole spa ritual line!

and one last nail bit...

Seche Vite
ladies, insist on this top coat for your manis and pedis. seche vite is simply the best there is...and i'm a pro. seche vite is applied in a thick bead and seals lacquer from the bottom up...sets in 10 minutes...dry in 30. the glass shine is unmistakable...the result is the ultimate long lasting mani/pedi. without this top coat, my mani polish will dull, then peel, within four days. with seche vite, i can last seven to ten days without a polish change or touch up. Pedis are unstoppable. if your manicurist does not use seche vite, ask them why not!

my favorite transvestite...

2007-03-26T23:03:00.000-04:00

for those of you unbaptized by the brillance of a certain british transvestite comedian, it's time to turn on your televisions...

eddie izzard is now on american television.
every week.
i might tinkle.

watch the riches on fx.

now, if you hadn't heard of eddie izzard, you are missing out on some of his early stuff...mostly all on dvd now...

intelligent, brillant stand up...delivered in drag.

thanks for the clip, you tube...this is from one of his first dvds...dressed to kill

back...but not quite ready for action

2007-03-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

hi all...

again, i apologize for my lengthy absence...quite a few things have changed!

on the job hunt again...a group of saboteurs had been doing their black magik against me for some time at work, and they succeeded in their quest to get me fired. it's been a lovely week. so, i'm looking from maine to arizona...hopefully something will turn up soon. i've been in a perpetually bad mood...and it will most likely linger until i find work.

thank goodness for unemployment and a bit of savings.

also, we have a couple new additions to our family.

this is millie.

and this is sophie.

millie and sophie are sisters...wicked cool lab/shar pei sisters. they are just hitting their terrible twos (we think they are about 13 weeks old) and are into everything, but they are crazy sweet.

and they are each over 20 pounds. these are going to be big girls. especially since they were like this...

two weeks ago...they've doubled their weight in two weeks...yikes.

Retail loves December...

2006-12-09T22:44:00.000-05:00

and so do i...

now that we're smack in the middle of the holiday season, and my salon is busily buzzing with hair dryers and the ring of registers, things are as they should be.

we're busy...very busy...and for the first time in four years, in the black. i can't say it's all because of my fantabulous leadership...but i would like to think that the stability i've helped provide is a help.

this week is another insane one...but a couple bright spots...my very good friend is finishing his master's degree this week, so i'll be in lexington thursday night for a celebratory night of bourbon. my vgf is also in the midst of a divorce (thank goodness) and he deserves a night of drunkenness :)

this coming weekend is my family's trek to michigan for a christmas dinner with some extended family and more work for me, but at least i have the two days after christmas off...

so, it's not a product, but you know you're an addict when you want this for christmas....

Update...

2006-11-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

sorry for the lack of posting...it's been a busy few weeks...

i've moved back to my beloved kentucky, and accepted a new position as the salon manager of a major department store. slightly unbelievably, i am the youngest manager in the company as well as the manager of the largest salon and day spa in the company. go figure.

so, my days are now filled with audits, scheduling, number crunching, and general managing of fifty plus stylists and eight spa technicians. i love it.

today i left three hours early to make it home in time to watch the ill fated michigan/ohio state game. as a die hard wolverine, i watched every second...and it was a good game...now we just have to wait and see if UM will be chosen for the national championship, as they should.

now that i'm back in the land of sephora, i'll be posting more frequently with product reviews (yay!)...thanks for hanging in!

woohoo!

2006-10-09T19:21:00.000-04:00

finally, a clear winner has come to the forefront...

with much conversation with family, and some major pondering over my long driving trips this weekend, i've decided on my next career move...i'm heading back to cincinnati. dillard's has made me an offer i can't refuse...with a spa that is just begging for some major changes.

plus, it's a lot more money.

so, i'm packing everything up tonight to head out wednesday morning...but i have two days driving, then i'm off to hawaii for a week.

long time...no see

2006-10-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

i haven't blogged in a while, because i've been crazy busy at work...and trying to find a new job.

my spa is closing three weeks earlier than anticipated...and i find myself with quite a few options with no clear favorite.

option 1: staying with this company and going to jupiter, florida. problems with that: not doing what i love full time and an incredibly high cost of living. pros: building a relationship with this company. but, is it the right company?

option 2: staying with this company and going to portsmouth, new hampshire. same pros and cons as above, but with different management.

option 3: new day spa in kennebunk, maine. i love this place, but there's no health care available!

option 4: spa management with a major department store chain in cincinnati. no cons that i can see here, but my interview is this friday.

option 5: i've applied to ::insert gasp here:: canyon ranch in lenox. a long shot, but i'd drop everything to live and work there.

oy. it's quite the decision, and i can't make it until this weekend.

but, on a good note, my 10 year high school reunion is this saturday! WOOHOO!

bridal makeup...

2006-08-30T23:22:00.000-04:00

up here in maine, some of our brides don't like the idea of makeup. or brow shaping. or lip waxing, for God's sake.

today, after much gentle cajoling, i did a trial run on a bride to be that has been coming into the spa for regular facials to get her skin in shape for the big day.

i love this bride. she's great...she and her fiancee are on a budget, so i offered to do her makeup on my own time...and it turned out beautifully.

a little bare minerals buffin' here, a little lemon aid here, a bit of bronzer there...and my bride to be looked like a radiant, glowing reflection of herself...just as she hoped.

i love doing bridal makeup...

from the tropics to the tundra...

2006-08-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

i got back from visiting my sister in orlando yesterday for her birthday and came from 90 degree weather in orlando with withering humidity to getting off the plane here in bangor to 55 degrees and spitting rain. wtf? it is still august, right?

so, orlando was fun, despite only being there for about a day and a half. i made a pitstop on friday at home in cincinnati and got to sleep. in my own bed. heaven. i am so over sleeping on an air mattress on a crappy day bed that it's not even funny.

but, on a beauty note, my bare minerals held up fabulously in the florida heat, and that was a test i had yet to try.

and mom had a surprise for me...lemon aid from benefit! she had tried some and it was a touch too dry for her eyes, so she obviously had to pass it along to her beauty diva.

it's creamy and sheer all at the same time...and for the past two days...i have not worn concealer over top of the lemon aid! woohoo! a huge step for those of us with hereditary under eye circles.

and, my sister picked up the new fragrance from the house of guerlain...insolence. this is a fantastic, light, feminine scent...my sister, who never wears perfume, says it's the only one she's ever wanted to wear.

anyone have some advice...

2006-08-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

a few posts ago you may remember reading about the ex-boyfriend that i'm trying to get back...

after a few emails and one not-so-comfortable phone conversation, he's firmly entrenched in the 'i'm not giving this another chance' idea, and i'm convinced that it can work, because a lot of circumstances that were giving us problems in the first place are now over.

has anyone had this problem? or, more desperately, can anyone help me with some ideas to get the love of my life back?

as a clarifier, there was no cheating involved...and also there is no other party involved with either one of us.

homemade spa recipe....

2006-08-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

my mom is the best.

for my birthday, she got me two books of spa recipes...so, on occasion, i'll post some here....with proper attribution, of course.

This is from Bath and Beauty Splash! by harriet hubbard ayer...

rose essence fragrance

2 cups fresh rose petals
10 cups vodka

place the rose petals in a bottle then add vodka. cork the bottle tightly, and put in a warm, dark place. twice a day for 14 days, shake the bottle. then strain the mixture, which is the essence, through a clean, fine cheese cloth bag into a fresh bottle. keep closely capped until you wish to use.

you may think...this is a bad, bad use of good, good vodka. but, the vodka is the alcohol preservative in this refreshing perfume. like all good things, this perfume improves with age.

i love sephora...

2006-08-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

since i'm in bar harbor, i am incredibly far from a sephora.

and, it's killing me.

the closest store is in boston...five hours away.

thank goodness for the laptop...my wishlist is growing my the day....and my credit card just might suffer.

first on the list, smashbox cream eye liner palette. i've been dying for this cream eyeliner...i love this stuff.

one of my favorite things for this summer, my new fragrance...lovely by sarah jessica parker. Surprisingly, this scent has a note of patchouli, which i associate with a bad phish concert and a whole bunch of unwashed people. Moreover, it has notes of paper whites, orchids, cedar, amber, musk, and lavender. it truly is quite lovely...just like sjp herself. a very unconventional beauty, with a unique sense of style and grace.

rimmel...the drugstore product of the gods

2006-08-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

here's another quickie product review for you...

i absolutely love rimmel products. well, most of them.

i'm a huge fan of their color products....blushes, powders, eye shadows, eye pencils, lip sticks, and lip pencils...it's a great way to try out a new look or trend, without breaking the bank. currently, i'm totally in love with their blush in Bronze. it has just the right amount of pink and bronze for a great sun-kissed flush...for three dollars.

the eye shadows go on smoothly and don't crease throughout the day. one drawback for some is that rimmel products do not come with applicators...i'm sure that helps in keeping costs down. if you're like me and have a good quality set of makeup brushes at home, then this doesn't matter to you. if you don't have a set of brushes, i would highly recommend you get a set for yourself...sephora has a great travel set for a resonable price.

once again, british fashion and trends are right on target.

what to do...

2006-08-14T22:51:00.000-04:00

what do you do when you're questioning your decision to end a relationship? my last boyfriend...we'll call him ubergeek because of his job as a software engineer...is tall and lanky with blondish-brown hair, the build of a marathoner, and very green eyes. he also is the plague of my existence....but i don't actually remember why.

he was far from perfect...the consummate bachelor set in his ways. but, then again, shouldn't he be allowed to be...he purchased and built his own house at 27. ubergeek is incredibly left-brained...he is wonderful for purchasing just what you wanted for christmas or a birthday...provided that you told him exactly what it was. he'll get you that...and nothing else.

am i expecting too much? he was absolutely fantastic while i was in aesthetic school...most of the time. like any guy, he bitched and moaned about never seeing me, but it took a long time...a few months of being in the program.

he came to bar harbor in june...things were not going terribly well before then. we ended up not making it through the weekend. he left...and i stayed feeling like my chest had been split in two.

so, i emailed him today. i'm not sure what pushed me to it...i think it might have been the very short makeout session i had with another guy over the weekend. i was terribly spoiled with my geek...he was always an absolutely fantastic kisser.

i'm going to orlando at the end of the month, and i'm flying through cincinnati. i asked if i could see him. we'll see what he says...

almost fall...

2006-08-12T16:46:00.000-04:00

sad to say, but it's almost fall here in maine. it's a gorgeous 70 degree day in bar harbor...the air is cool but pleasant....and the sun is bright.

in kentucky, we don't get these days until at least late september. it's terribly odd, considering we're barely into august, and i'll have to wear a sweater to the lobster pound tonight for dinner.

three hours 'til talledega nights...woohoo!

happy friday...

2006-08-11T19:19:00.000-04:00

it's 7.15 on a friday night and i'm lying in bed...this headache that i've had for three freaking days just isn't going away. i only had a few appointments today, so i got to come upstairs about two this afternoon to try to sleep the rest of my headache away. not happening.

another reason it totally sucks....we were going to see ricky bobby tonight.

i heart you, ricky bobby. i heart you.

ugh...

2006-08-09T22:02:00.000-04:00

i am now working on twelve hours of a migrane.

i rarely get them, so i can't see the triggers, and this one really knocked me for a loop.

i'm ready to crawl into bed with my lavender essential oil on my temples and my eye mask on my eyes....

i had to reschedule a couple appointments today, so i'm hoping i'm up and running for tomorrow...i have a full day of waxin' and buffin' tomorrow.

products galore...

2006-08-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

i've had a dilemma for quite some time...my very shared bathroom has a very, very small shower. so small that i can barely turn around, much less shave my legs...

so, i've discovered a depilatory! you say, vintage, you are an aesthetician...why don't you wax? i say, because it hurts....and i'm a wuss. but this veet hair removal creme works great on both legs and that errant bikini area.

plus, it doesn't smell all noxious like nair used to...my skin is nice and conditioned afterward.

common sense warning: this is an exfoliator, so if you self-tan, this depilatory is going to slough it right off....best to spray that tan on after you de-fuzz.

thank god i'm a country girl....

2006-08-08T23:36:00.000-04:00

as i'm watching cmt (good lord, is that actually happening?) and listening to the ever adorable Dierks Bentley talk about givin' a good woman his last name, i'm beginning to realize that while i'm not a frog giggin', four wheel ridin', deer dressin' country girl, i do appreciate the finer things that life in the south can bring.

girls, you want a sweet guy who appreciates you, loves you to distraction, and then goes out on does some manual labor-y stuff? better gitcha a southern boy.

after growing up in michigan and moving south for college, i just keep seeing that those songs those strong boys sing when they've got a guitar strapped to their chests really do ring true.

take my current southern pinup boy: brad paisley. this west virginia boy plays a guitar like a demon, sings like an angel, and loves his wife to no end. and who wouldn't...he's married to kimberly williams-paisley...annie banks from father of the bride with steve martin.

honestly, in the rest of the celebrity world, people are divorcin', cheatin', and in general just messin' everything up. it's nice to see a group of celebrities...country music folks...who are settled down and can still rock.

but, there are some bad points...like guys who only want to fish...and hunt.

in the words of mr paisley...well, i love her, but i love to fish...

bad thing is...i love to fish too. but i need a boy to get that slimy thing off the hook...cause i just got my nails done.

blog randomness

2006-08-08T23:21:00.000-04:00

there is a webring for everything...note my new membership in the beauty/fashion/shopping one. hehe.

and i love blog fun-ness.

like my new manhattan socialite name...

My name is Blair Waldorf.
Take The Manhattan Socialite Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

ha! I definitely am adopting that....

decisions, decisions

2006-08-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

i'm in the middle of a sticky decision....to stay with the company i'm currently with and move to the eastern shores of Florida....or, to take the leap and move to Nashville.

here are some reasons...

one, i hate Florida. hate it. especially the west palm beach area.

two, there is no guarantee that i will be in one place in florida....and i'll more than likely be moving around within the state...all with a lease on an apartment.

three, one good thing about florida...my baby sister is there.

four, i miss being in the south. i love the south...and florida is not the south.

five, i can't work back in the home state of kentucky....too much discrepancy in the licensing and education hours....tennessee's the closest thing...especially since i'm only four hours from home.

ugh. i hate these decisions...although i'm getting a few bites in nashville.

yoga-tastic

2006-07-25T19:09:00.000-04:00

today has been the one of those days where the signs are everywhere.

when i woke up this morning much too early, i popped on the tv to the oxygen network to a televised yoga class called inhale. i watched it for a little while...this was a cool yoga show. there was great music in the background and the poses were challenging with alternatives for not-so-advances practioners like me.

i opened my email later in the day to see a message from the local yoga studio about some specials for this month.

so, i broke down...bought my lavender prana yoga mat...and have my alarm set for 5:45 am for the next episode of inhale.

so what is that?!?

2006-07-25T01:34:00.000-04:00

the traveling aesthetician? most ask me just what i do for a living...

i am an aesthetician. i'm the girl who analyzes your skin and tells you that the glycolic peel you wanted today isn't happening because you're sunburned. the one that performs those fifteen facials on the spa menu. the makeup artist who does the entire bridal party's makeup...then stays for touchups throughout the reception without draining the cash bar.

the traveling part comes in here...i do resort spa work. in may, i packed up my trusty honda element and moved to bar harbor, maine for a position in a new resort spa at an upscale hotel and marina. in october, i'll help pack up this spa and travel back through cincinnati to repack my stuff and head down to the west palm beach, florida area to continue in another spa with this same parent company.

aesthetics training varies from state to state, but i trained in one of the more vigorous states: ohio. with a little paperwork wrangling, i can work in most states in the union. woohoo!

another birthday...

2006-07-25T00:41:00.000-04:00

my mother is great at so many things, but one of the best things she does is choose the perfect greeting card for the perfect occasion.

one of my favorites...

this is my wish for you:
comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you are in doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
love to complete your life.

thanks, mom