Fall Beauty: 10 minutes to Freedom!

It doesn't always take me five minutes, but most of the time I can get away with my ultimate 10 minute makeup routine. Shall I admit something? I take really good care of my skin but I still use my fingers half the time, and then I use a beauty blender sponge that I just got from Forever 21 in a three pack, to blend throughout the day. I decided to scale back a little at the end of Summer, as Hunter begins Pre-K very soon and I need something quick for AM bus drop-off's.

Some of these are a little pricey, but I will have cheaper alternatives as suggestions if you're on a budget. (Trust me, I've been there!) I've got you covered.

Eyelash curler. Mint green and gold. Forever 21. $3.80 (online, and in store)

Amp up your makeup game with this basic beauty tool! I live by the golden rule, that an eyelash curler can really fix anything. I curl my lashes, sans mascara, before going to the gym and mid-day if I don't want to gloop on more mascara because it really aggravates my contacts! My pick from Forever 21 has two benefits, price point, and tool pressure. I love that this one really gets well on my base, where my lashes tend to already curl, and it allows me to get them in place where they belong with the help of the pressure points in this tool. Plus, how can you argue with a curler under $4? I mean, c'mon!

L'Oréal The Infallible Blackbuster Liquid 8hr Eyeliner. Shade Black/Noir. About $7 at Target, and most drugstores.

I like a good cat eye, and this product lasts. I haven't ventured into the gel territory, (although when those first came out I loved Clinique's version that came in a pot), but I just love the liquid lined look. This is a cheaper version that lasts, and the color coverage is the perfect pontification of black. It's an excellent base just to add to your makeup collection!

Burt's Bee's Beeswax Lip Balm. Available at most retailers.

This will be my forever lip balm of choice. I love Burt's Bee's, enough said.

Visine Long Lasting Redness Relief eye drops. Available at most retailers and drugstores.

I use Visine more now than I ever have because I don't always get adequate sleep. I love this version from their line of eye products because it's soothing, and it takes away all the redness. I hate what I call stoner eyes, with all the little red squiggly lines so I always keep these on hand for quick fixes. Pro Tip: It also will take away the redness of a MAJOR blemish in a pinch if necessary.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. Shade NC25. Purchased from Belk, but available at all MAC Stores or Macy's. $27

This is my dream powder. I'm new to the MAC game. I'll be honest, the black packaging and makeup gurus who worked at the counters always overwhelmed me a little. Everything I've ever learned about makeup I taught myself from the pages of Seventeen. True story! I was born to be a MAC lady though, and this powder/foundation duo is the center from which my 10 minute routine was born. I can spot treat my blemishes, and powder my t-zone lickety split. The coverage is flawless, and stays put well past 12 hours of wear. Why did I ever buy any other powder? Dear MAC, this is my love letter .... I thank you immensely for this product.

Since this price point is on the higher end, (although if you can swing it I highly recommend it). I'm also in love with Rimmel's Stay Matte Shine Control Pressed Powder (less than $6 at most drugstores), and NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation (about $11 available at Target, CVS, and Ulta or online).

Maybelline Volum' Express, The Falsies, Big Eyes Mascara. Very Black. $10 (Available at most retailers, and drug stores).

I love this mascara for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I don't have to scrimp on coatings. The formula is thin enough to build on without feeling cake-y and I still get fluttery lashes without the messy formulas of waterproof mascara. It's my go-to. Also, can we talk about the duo brushes? The tiny bristles on the bottom lash brush are perfect for my longer lower lashes, and as for my tops, that brush easily gets into all the little nooks and crannies. It's literally the perfect formula, and Maybelline has finally met it's match as I am a stickler for their Great Lash and always will be.

Flower Beauty Chubby's Highlighter and Lip & Cheek. Highlighter is in shade HL2 Gold Coaster, and Lip & Cheek is in KM3 Can't Re-fuchsia. About $11 at Wal-Mart or online.

My love affair with FLOWER Beauty continues! I'm completely obsessed with these new lines of Chubby's, which are miniature sticks of glorious coverage and color to save me time when I need to feel my most beautiful! The Lip & Cheek chubby has the greatest coverage, and blends effortlessly as a blush. If you read my last makeup post, I talked about the same highlighter but in pearl shimmer, which I still love, but gold coaster takes on the little extra sparkle I crave to match the more muted colors of Fall.

Physician's Formula Super CC+ Concealer. Shade Light/Medium. About $13 (Available at most drugstores, and Target).

This Super CC (color correcting), magical unicorn formula is the answer to my blemish prayers! If I have a spot, simply twist and brush on flawless coverage that lasts. A bonus is the 30SPF that's added in making it the perfect under-eye concealer. It delicately covers up harsh lines and imperfections on my skin with ease, and doesn't cause a single breakout.

L'Oréal  Colour Riche Lipstick in British Red. About $6 at most drugstores/retailers.
I love this shade of red, because it's a perfect transition between the bright reds of Summer and the darker shades of Fall. It still falls in the coral-y red spectrum, so works well with almost all skin tones. I have seen all kinds rock it! The color lasts, and the application doesn't need a lot of precision because the color doesn't bleed. Great for all day!

I hope these products will shorten your beauty routines, and leave you more time to catch some morning Zzzzzzzzzz. We all need more of those!

As always, I love yer faces!

xo,
C

Vacation.

We've taken a little detour this week. This was not in the plan.

After a lovely Saturday night on the town in Savannah, we are only halfway into our vacation. I'm not talking about why we are here but I will say, this is probably the 2nd hardest thing I've ever been through. I'm a difficult soul. I can be really cagey, but this trip isn't for Hunter or I. This trip was for other people, and for our family.

As always, I love yer faces. Talk to you very soon, and safe travels!

xo,

C

Savannah.

Usually frequent travelers will have blog posts with beautiful artsy photos, and can tell you travel stories to rival a Frommer's guide but I had a 4 year old, a box of spinach dip, and narrow sidewalks to navigate last night. Also, did anyone sober make it out of the pirate pub crawl last night? I've never heard so many drunk aaaarrrggghhh's in my life!

This post however, is my love letter to my favorite city in the entire world Savannah, GA.

A little background about me, I was born in Georgia about 20 minutes northwest in a little town called Marietta. We lived in GA off and on when I was a little wee one, and I always have a soft place in my heart spaces for it. Honestly, when I come here it always feels like home!

Downtown Savannah was my NYC when I was a little girl, and in many ways I think it's sort of that kind of place in the South. First of all, the city culture is brilliant!

Bars.
Live music.
Street performers.
Art.
Diversity, (there's literally a little bit of every culture here).
Food!!!!!!!
Cool knick-knacky places that will make your inner homebody do pirouettes. (This is mostly for the Mom's and crafty people!)

I just lllllooovvvvveeee this town!

Last night we had dinner at a restaurant called Tubby's Seafood. It is on the second floor in an old cotton exchange factory about midway down River St. It's done up in the interior like the inside of a boat with dark hardwood everywhere, and a little bar. We sat inside, because it's August, and it's HOT here but they do have outdoor dining if you're feeling like a little al fresco jaunt is for you. They also had a HUGE bar outside, and they were serving to-go GA Peach flavored Sangria for the grown-ups. YUM!

I am a seafood fan, so I got a surf and turf burger with shrimp on it. It was delicious! If I wouldn't have ordered the spinach dip then it would have been a cheap meal as well, because I spent well under what I was anticipating especially for a place that's technically on the water. Their menu also had specialty things for kids in the seafood department, but also basic things like hot dogs for picky eaters. There are more expensive/fancy dining places along the river, but I try to stay away from those places right now while Hunter's still little and prone to getting up when he's done eating. Of course, I don't want to be that Mom and let him wander around everywhere, but he's 4. What can I say? Family dining for us, (sometimes to my detriment), is still the way to go!

The little stores along the river are fantastic if you just want something to take home as a souvenir, are an antiquer, or if you like homeware type things.

Some of my favorites;

River Street Market Place- (East End)
Lots of shops here, but my favorite was the monogram shop. Good gravy, let's monogram all the things!

Bob's Your Uncle/Fannie's Your Aunt- They have the cutest t-shirts in this store, and I love all the kids options. They literally had the best stock of novelty Savannah t-shirts.

Savannah's Candy Kitchen- Perfect place to take a curious kid! Watch them make saltwater taffy, candy apples, and literally walk around the Bill's Candy Shop of old town Savannah. (Bonus points if you get that reference!)

A Christmas On the River- Everything is Christmas here, and they make no apologies for it. She even had the music on! I love this store, it was by far the best maintained shop we went it and easy to navigate even with a little one. Hunter loved the little village of Southern/Savannah inspired Christmas things in the back right corner of the store!

Five and Dime General Store- This place had a little of everything, and a lot of choices. It's huge, and if you need to get out of the heat for a bit it's a great place to catch your breath or grab some water.

Ellis Square- This is off River St. Perfect place to get away when it's hot! At night you can hear live music from the bars and the park has a little mini splash pad for kids. It's not soft or anything, but Hunter loved it just be careful because it's a bit slippery! (On W Bryan St., and Barnard St. Also there's also a Savannah Visitor's bureau there where you can get city info and public restrooms with changing tables.)

Jere's Antiques- (Off of Jefferson St.) This store has the most impressive and reasonable antiques in old town Savannah. The store is meticulously curated, and they even recreate custom antique bespoke pieces! The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. It's my favorite pick out of all the places I've been around town.

Don't forget to take the free DOT trolley rides up and down River St. Also remember you're in the South, ask for directions if you need them! People are super friendly here, and they give great tips if you're polite. :)

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Savannah I encourage you to go, and explore it. It's such a beautiful place, and people are truly friendly. If I had to pick a place to represent the south that I know, and what I grew up with, this would be the place! It's just perfect.

xo,

C

Growing Up Sheltered: Part 1

Now before you put on your therapists specks and stare at me from across the room like an ape, let me explain a few things.

1. There are many different kinds of sheltering. I had two kinds; one where I was sheltered in a certain world, and the other where I was sheltered from reality.

2. Sheltering does not equate to ignorance. You allow yourself to remain ignorant. If after the sheltering period ends, you still refuse to assimilate to the real world then you have bigger problems.

3. Not all sheltering is bad, but it does make you sort of co-dependent on others during periods of distress in your life and that's when you find out who your real friends and family are.

I was a really lucky child. In fact, my life shouldn't have been as perfect because on paper my parents survival rate would have been on the lower end of slim to none. My Dad graduated college with an English degree, which meant he worked in retail and taught college courses at night so I basically saw a lot of different kneecaps in my formative years. I still love college campuses though, all of them feel a little familiar, like Summer homes. Also, I like adults. I always have. Something about my character, has always felt older and more at ease in the company of people 20 plus years older than me. I don't know why that is, but it just happened.

My Mother had unrealistic expectations of a man with an English degree, and in some ways he had unrealistic expectations of my Mom who decided to stay at home with me. No, you do not need to reel the Betty Crocker/June Cleaver B-Roll, because there wasn't one. My Mother was never a classic beauty, but when she really tried it was an incredible sight to behold. She knew the perfect way to roll my hair, and how many pins that needed to be put into my ballet bun. She could put on lipstick while driving, and put on mascara while charging through green lights. Her beauty was in her precision, and meticulousness, but in many ways I think that's what drove her batshit crazy.

So, one day my English major Dad was royally laid off by the company that he had been with for over 5 years. It was the first time that I had ever heard my parents worrying about money. About what we would do in case of a massive fall out, and that moment when my Dad walked through the door defeated is when my panic attacks became reality. My Dad came home from that work trip looking worried, scared, and upset. I was angry for him.

How the hell do you get laid off? Who the f*ck decides these things? How are all those other people indispensable except you?

I lived in a cave. I knew what the folded green bills that my Mother gave me for lunches meant, but I didn't understand how much it cost to live in my tiny little bubble of a world.

My sheltering from reality came to an abrupt halt for a second time, when my Mother packed up and left when I was 12. For awhile, I could feel the seams ripping in my parents marriage although there were already tons of holes and then patches put over them.

Prozac.
Therapy.
Family therapy.
Family vacations.
North Carolina.

Maybe that's why I ended up here? North Carolina has always been sort of the Switzerland of my life.  Full of life, blank, and neutral, and its where my parents were the happiest. Except for the lead, gritty, underbelly of it all which I discovered here, (in a different town when I was 18). I go back to the lead underbelly every once in awhile, it's like a relapse. I hate myself for it the next morning, but I miss the parties!

Anyway, like everyone my reality is a little skewed. Obviously, but like any other starving artist I dared to be a little different. I surrounded myself in my early twenties with substances, books, alcohol, music, and hipster culture. Then it was my turn to be a beautiful sight to behold, and was I ever! I got a job at a bar. My parents drank at home, but I had never seen drunk people like this. I knew what it was like to be tipsy, but never falling down, blackout intoxicated. I caught people, in the heat of the moment hooking up in the bathroom. I saw breakups, first kisses, and foreplay on the dance floor. I was guarded though, and my participation was sort of scaled back. I was in self-preservation mode because like every other good sheltered girl, it's scary to think that my kneecaps could become bloody and bruised. The world was a battering ram with a sword, breathing hot fire and it was coming straight for me.

My Dad thought I was a strung out, drunken mess, and he was none too pleased about his grown up daughter who used to wear bows in her hair was now working in a sin factory. I loved it. My first taste of real rebellion, and I had no idea what I was going to do with it.

xo,

C

Depression.

I know a lot of people won't want to talk about this, or they'll passive-agressively sympathize with the passing of a celebrity, but I'm profoundly impacted with the recent death of Robin Williams. As a very small child. I was so mesmerized with his performance in Toys that I re-watched that movie over 70 times. Once my Dad asked me why I had to rewatch it over and over, and I only had one answer for him, "It's like going to school!" I was about three or four, and that's my first real, vivid memory of my childhood ... movies. My Dad was a secret comedy buff, who was sort of sweetly airbrushed over to a cleaner, neater version by my Mother who was very particular about the types of humor that I was to be exposed to. The fact was, with Robin Williams now a figure-head in my realm of possibility I knew that comedy was limitless. I craved more!

With the outpouring, in the wake of such a sudden death it's sad to think that so many people still don't understand or sympathize with those people who suffer from debilitating depression. It doesn't help that about 60 to 70 percent of them also suffer from some form of addiction. These are treatable illnesses, but their manifestation varies from patient to patient and while there are resources, having the courage to seek treatment is still greatly stigmatized. In my family, depression runs rampant on both sides, and I've battled addiction most of my life to cope with inadequate care in regards to my own battles with the same affliction. Depression, especially in the US isn't talked about or addressed as often as it should be since considering it's the cornerstone of almost all illness that fall under this wide umbrella of clinically diagnosed depression.

Depression is a disease of loneliness, addiction, obsession, social anxiety, and inadequacy. In a world that sort of skims over actual fears, and disguises them as character flaws most are silent sufferers. Many people are born with them, a simple, small glitch in their DNA only to have it manifest some years later, or worse, in childhood when it's vastly misdiagnosed. The fact is, a depressed person experiences the most undervalued kind of suffering as their emotions ebb and flow like river rapids. After a few bumps, you're reminded that your life isn't that much harder than the next persons, but the disease still stands dormant there in your system. It quietly functions -- a missed night of sleep, pushing off reading that you used to enjoy, avoiding your reflection in the mirror, avoiding your family. This small amoeba of a one sad singular emotion, is quieted by life in the daylight hours but by night anesthetizes the clear thoughts that lull the normal people into a peaceful rest. Eventually it takes over the days, and then the weeks, and sometimes the years, until you're in a dark cave of your own design that carves a wide barrier between yourself in the rest of the world.

I'm not asking you to not be depressed, but simply talk about about it. It's so simple, but it could prevent something catastrophic like this from happening again. You do not have to suffer alone. You don't have to die to feel something, some sense of connection with another human being to relate your suffering so that they can understand it. Be empathetic with all people! Find out about them, and ask questions, and LISTEN to them. We only have the human race, we only have ourselves to take care of the other human beings and that is something neither the internet or a computer will fix. Take care of everyone around you, and pay attention. It could save someone's life.

xo,

C

My Child: The Model

Now before I start this, please understand this isn't about attention seeking, or please look at me I have a beautiful child post. I think he's beautiful, and that's all that matters. Sorry, but I could give two shits about what the rest of the world thinks about it. Also, I'm his Mom, and I can say that last night he wasn't being very cute when he lapped dirty bathwater all over the floor in a freak riptide storm Jim Cantore himself couldn't have predicted. He wet the rug, and every other surrounding surface which I then had to mop up with every towel we've probably ever owned. 

Anyway I want to put all of that stuff aside, to have a frank conversation with you about big life dreams.

I see a huge difference between stage mom, and a parent who wants their child to accomplish their dreams. How do I know about Hunter's? I don't. He's four! His interests are as fleeting as cars rushing down the busy highway in front of our house. I've accepted that. It's an extremely difficult balance, because as an adult we've been told to be exact. That our dreams must be functional, and associated with what makes other people feel comfortable. I have different ideas about this entirely! The first time that we were approached about any sort of modeling/acting/public performance was in Washington when we were walking around the mall. A lady who was a local talent scout for an extras agency saw Hunter. I took her card, thought nothing of it, and kept on going. She called me a few weeks later, and then all of a sudden she wanted us to come to casting calls. We went, it was ok, but we had that experience now. At the time we didn't have all the resources, so we just weren't ready, and after that there was radio silence on that front.

I did a lot of theater, dance, and performance stuff when I was younger because I had a hunger for it. I recognize this same insatiability for performance coming from my child, which makes sense, but I don't ever want to be that Mom. Hunter is such a smart child already, and very in tune with emotions from the people around him and his environment. I worry, because people like that tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves which means they get hurt quite easily. He loves to make everyone in his family laugh, and it's infectious. He's so on all the time it's very hard to know now when he's being serious, so as a parent I have to get smarter and ride that same tidal wave of emotions with him. Most of the time, he's just too darn cute!

Last Spring, just as everything started turning green we went shopping at a local department store for an Easter outfit. Same thing, we got approached and asked if he would like to be in a kid's Easter fashion show. At first Hunter was shocked, but he immediately agreed so I pulled him aside to talk about it. I explained to him the seriousness of it, the actual hard parts, but it could be really fun if he wanted to try it out. He scratched his head and pretended to be in deep thought as he mulled it over.

"Yeah Mom, of course!"

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Can I pick out my own clothes?"

"Within reason!"

We got the same callback just a few weeks ago for the Back to School show, and he was screaming he was so happy. I wanted to say no for him at first. I wanted to say it because no, is such a powerful thing that parents hold when every other option seems exhausted. I'm protecting my child from danger, that's my job! I'm protecting him from getting hurt in a world that is inherently mean! Who in their right mind would subject their small human being to that? I stopped for a split second though, to consider, what if this is his dream? What if this is his theater, his ballet? I know he's a boy and there are so many differences between the sexes, but what if this is a start for him? What if this will work him toward is bigger goals? I've accepted that this may not be forever, hell, this might not last until tomorrow morning but for now, he has found something that he's consistently liked.

Yesterday everything was going wrong! We had a lighting strike the previous night after a band of storms rocked us, and the electricity was out all morning. By the time it was fixed it was 11:30,  we showered in the dark, (I got the cold water), and we were past call time. He kept checking the alarms on the phone or paced the hallway of his bedroom while I tried finding a decent outfit. He progressively got more irritated with me. "Mom! We're late. You are making me late!" When we got outside, the rain was pouring and it was cold. It took an extra 15 minutes to drive from our house across town in a torrential downpour. We got to the mall and he was so upset at the thought we might have missed the show he barely talked to me. After I grabbed his stack of clothing choices from the assigned rack, he finally broke the uncomfortable silence, "We need to go to the dressing room." He bolted, running straight for it. Of course, everyone else was late too! Kids were peeling off clothes and handing them back to parents, so Hunter just started getting undressed and tossing his clothes back at me too. I still can't believe the kids section only has two closed changing rooms!

"You're not supposed to get naked in front of everyone dude!"

"Mom, I have underwear on."

I passed him the t-shirt, and he slid it over his head. Then he carefully tucked the tags inside so they couldn't be seen, like a pro. By the time he was finally dressed, I could feel his adrenaline pumping and he shakily pulled his belt through the last loop on his jeans.

"Mom, I'm really excited but I've got to pee. Do I need to wait?"

"Of course not!"

We quickly ran to the bathroom. Then back to the line after a lap around the top floor of the store to get to the backstage area. He was moved to the front since he was one of the youngest, and I peered behind the curtain to check on him trying to remain hidden. He had his game face on. He held his paper in one hand, made sure the tags on his top button-up shirt were hidden. The girl in front of him hesitated for too long, and he said, "It's your turn now. Good luck!" She half smiled at him, and she finally stepped out from behind the curtain. I think it was her first time. He took off his hat then, like a teenage boy, and ruffled his hair before sliding it back on. I knew if I would have gone back there at that moment he would have been angry with me. "Parents aren't supposed to be back here Mom!"

I let all of my fear and instinct go, because this was his moment. I'm always his Mom at the end of the day, but in this instance, he conquered the whole world like a gentleman and I couldn't have been prouder. After the show we were bombard, between business cards, and new people trying to make contacts, they leeched on me as I was buying his t-shirt and hat from the show. "You know if he models for us he could buy his own clothes?" I gave one of them a dirty look, a guy in a frumpy suit with a portfolio as he pushed a business card across the counter at me. "I think I'll handle that for now, thanks." After that, a few photographers, and another scout closed in on us as I stood shuffling bags between my hands. Hunter reached out and shook all of their hands, starting conversations like he had been doing this forever. We talked about it a lunch that afternoon, and he's decided to do photo shoot for a catalog and he wants to do another fashion show. "We'll see," I say, and tap away at an email in my phone. I'm happy for him, but terrified. Rightfully so! Right now I'll let him revel in the victory of a job well done, as he dips his fingers in the ketchup from Chick-fil-a before we have to talk about the hard stuff again. I'm never prepared, but we're rolling with it. I've guess we've got two aspiring actors in the family.

Here's some photos from the rest of our day, it was kind of silly!

Just remember to dream, dream HUGE! Say yes to things, and take care of yourselves.

It's all worth it. I promise.

xo,

C

Why Boyfriends Suck.... and why we love them.

New video.

New posts are coming tomorrow!

xo,

C

Where I've Been...

I know the blogs been kind of silent this week, but just know that I'm still here, things are coming, and that I've just been swamped!

Between trying to wrap up Summer, and getting my child enrolled in Pre-K my mind is like a zoo where all the animals have been let out. What have I managed? Joined the gym (where I've been going every single day), and eating better, and I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. sssssshhhhh I told you guys, don't tell the world about my closet inner nerd goddess!

Anyway .... what else has happened?

I can't think. It's late and I have an 8AM class at the gym in the A.M. after which time I will come home and finish a video to post to my youtube, and write about the 10 reason I love Chris Pratt. Deal?

As always, I love yer faces.

xo,

C