WOW!!!! I haven’t been here in like forever!!! Sorry about that   I can’t believe it’s been a year since I moved out of NY. Since then I was able to finish working on the house with Shane… blood, sweat and tears later, we were able to move in in April and we’ve been living here ever since. It feels great to look around and think of all the hard work and money we put into it, it’s very rewarding! This month we are replacing our windows from WindoWizards. We had a salesperson come in and show us a window sample. And when he did a comparison/demonstration between our window and their window, we were SOLD! I think it’s gonna break Shane’s bank but it’s very worth it. We’re also going to replace the entry door with  Pella fiberglass entry door with 3/4 oval decorative glass, it’s gonna look BEAUTIFUL! Our job is not done though, we’re saving to have more work done on the house such as central air and a gas line. I also want to renovate the kitchen and get a gas stove. Below are some photos I’d like to share.

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The first photo is the entry door going to the livingroom. I thought that extra wall piece was a nice touch but it had to go because it made the livingroom small. Taking it down made it look bigger and airy.

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The recessed wall has gotta go! I think the previous owner used that to put shelves but we removed it. Even though it was about 6 inches off, it made a huge difference. Sometime in the near future, I’d like to cut half that wall down to create a window looking through the kitchen.

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The last pic shows the livingroom at a different angle towards the bedrooms (you can see the master bed on the second from the left shot). Notice that we also replaced the flooring with Horizontal Carbonized Bamboo flooring from Lumber Liquidators. It’s so much beautiful in person, these photos don’t do justice.

I’d show you more pix of how it looks now all furnished but I need to do a little bit of cleaning before I do… LOL… one thing I’m sorta bad at is decorating. I like that Moraccan look, but I also like Asian, or anything traditional. I like small little details on pieces and Shane doesn’t. So right now we have the basic furniture in the house. As far as decorative items, it’s non-existent.

 I also like to announce my neice, Maiya, ain’t she cute?!?! She shares the same birthday as my son, Ivan, who turned 11 on June 8.  I went to visit her in Bellingham, WA for a couple of days and I miss her terribly. 

I have to say, I still have a knack for being a mom. And the look on Shane’s face, I think he’s ready to be a dad and he’s going to be a great one as he is with my kids. And speaking of…

Now that Shane and I have a place to call our own, we are trying to conceive. You heard it right, we’re trying to have a baby! Actually, we’ve been “casually” trying for the past year since I got off the pill and I stopped smoking but not until June when I was REALLY serious about it. A friend of mine introduced me to a site where I can track my monthly menstrual cycle. I’m a VIP member at Fertility Friend, where I track my cycle everyday. If that wasn’t so gung-ho, I bought a basal thermometer that I use every morning, a shitload of ovulation test on eBay, Pre-seed “fertility friendly” personal lubricant (because KY Jelly and other lubes can harm sperm), prenatal vitamins, books on fertility and getting pregnant for $0.99 each @ alibris.com, all the way down to making myself a fertility bracelet. When I have a strong desire for something, I go all the way… LOL

Lemme tell you, I can never get enough of NYX Round Lipstick. That’s why I was excited to find a seller on eBay because they allowed me to buy them in lots of 3, 6 or 12 and I got to choose my own shades, which I like. I’ve seen other sellers that sells them in lots but the shades are pre-selected so you might have a couple shades that you don’t like. They sell other items in lots too, like blushes, shadows and liners. The prices are pretty decent too and they ship super fast. And if you spend over $30, you get a free gift. Plus they have 100% positive feedback so you know they’re good business. So check them out at Joy’s Cosmetics on eBay.

I got 12 NYX Round Lipsticks for $17.99 in pretty shades of nude and brown. My personal favorite is Mars, Champagne and Cocoa. I also picked up some lipglosses too. I’ll be having fun with these!

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L to R: Orion, Dido, Creon

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L to R: Atlas, Champagne, Cocoa

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L to R: Stone, Chambord, Pecan 

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L to R: Taupe, Mars, Peony

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Top to Bottom: Lollipop, Smokey Look, Miami Babe

I’ll be definitely coming back to them. I was actually eyeing on The Bronze Goddess Box makeup set. It looks so darn pretty, doesn’t it? If you know of a review on it, please refer me to it? Thanks.

Hey guys!!! Sorry for my long absence but work has been taking alot of my time away from my site, and renovating my house has been physically draining. I’m not saying I’m doing ALL the work. My boyfriend does most of the hard labor, but to be active around the house the way I am is very tiring. I just can’t wait to have everything done… the walls need spackling and paint, the floors needs to be done, the attic needs more work… seems like light work, but it’s going to take a while until the house is in living condition. It’s not easy especially if we’re doing all this on our own.

Since my last post four months ago, my kids came back from Indonesia safe and sound. They loved it there. My parents were thinking  about going back next year and I might join them this time, but I don’t know if my boss allows it; I can’t have a 2 week vacation back to back. I might just have a week of unpaid vacation. I dunno how it’ll work out. We’ll see.

Since then my kids and I moved in with my boyfriend in his current home in South Jersey while we work on the house. My sister moved too with her boyfriend on the West Coast. She came to visit for Thanksgiving with her boyfriend and they announced that they are expecting. I’m a mom, a daughter, a sister, now I’m gonna be an aunt!!! I’m so excited.

Oh… and I stopped smoking since October. I feel so much better and I smell good too. So whenever I smell smoke, I ask myself “Ewww… was that what I was breathing in? It smells GROSS!!! I can’t believe I used to smoke. Blegh!!!” I’m one step closer to being healthy. This coming year, I want to commit myself to lose weight, at least 5 pounds. I’m gonna need a plan. If I have one, I’ll post it hear.

So that basically sums it up. I have some hauling I want to post soon so I can’t wait for that. But before I go, I want to show you my new haircut. Let me know how you like.

I can’t believe it’s August already… where does the time go? It felt like yesterday we were celebrating Independence Day and I was out hanging with my girls. This month has been kinda tough so far. Just the thought of moving real soon, and my sister’s move to Washington State, me being alone in the house with the kids and parents on the other side of the world *sigh* It’s been driving me crazy.

This past Saturday I sent my kids off to Indonesia with my parents. We left for the airport pretty early in the morning and I think I held myself pretty well trying not to cry because I didn’t want to upset my kids and I wanted them to feel they’re going to have a safe flight. We had Mickey D’s for breakfast and we were sitting together for one last time before I send them off. Once we were done, we headed to security check-point and that’s when I lost it. As we were saying our goodbyes, I gave my kids the longest hug in their life, I almost couldn’t let go. I was standing there along with my sister and bf, crying my ass off, just to make sure they go through the metal detectors ok. We waved at them until we can’t see them anymore. I cried so bad, I couldn’t breathe. I’m choking now as I type this post

I got the chance to speak to them tonight and they are having a great time. Everyone and the people in the village loves them. It’s a surprise to me that they’re not complaining about not having video games and computer access. I think they adjusted very well to a different kind of lifestyle. I miss them terribly.

Before I go to bed, I’d like to share the brushes I got from Crown Brush. Now I can experiment and have fun with the Coastal Scents Eyeshadow Palettes I got a few months ago.

 
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L to R: S231 Chisel Fluff, S217 Round Contour, S225 Shadow Crease, C141 SML Chisel Blush,
C151 SM Chisel Fluff, C138 Round Contour, C139 Stiff Tapered Crease,
C200 Deluxe Crease, C222 Round Contour, C317 Deluxe Crease, IB125 Metal Eyelash Definer

I’m expecting a 28 Neutral Eyeshadow Palette from a beauty blogger who is selling it to me. I can’t wait to get it in the mail! Check her out @ X3MZSHAR’s Blog Sale and there might be something you might like to buy from her. You can also check out other beauty blogger sale at this directory: Beauty Blog Sale Directory.

If no one takes away the AVON catalog, then I might as well be broke… LOL… I’ve been ordering stuff from AVON within the month since my first purchase of nail polishes and I think I’m hooked. So far I’m liking their products but I think have enough to keep me pretty for the rest of the year. Here are some of the things I got and my thoughts on them.

One of many orders I got from AVON

Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel
I wanted to give myself enough time before writing a review to see if the color would last, and sure enough it did. With 2 coats and no top-coat, it did not chip and I didn’t have to touch-up during the week.  My manicure lasted for more than a week. It goes on so well with no bubbles or streaks, it looks like I had my nails done professionally. It even dries up fairly quick. My personal favorite is Coral Bikini for my toes, it compliments my tanned skintone. I would buy again.

l to r: Nailwear Pro in Coral Bikini, Tangtastic, Fucshia, Viva Pink, Tropical Punch
and Speed Dry in Mambo Melon

Nailwear Pro in Fucshia

Nailwear Pro in Viva Pink

Nailwear Pro in Tangtastic

Nailwear Pro in Tropical Punch

Nailwear Pro in Coral Bikini

Speed Dry in Mambo Melon

Speed Dry Nail Enamel
If you have trouble getting your nails dry fast enough, then this might be for you. On my first try, my nails got a bit messy because it dried too fast as I was stroking the brush over my nails several times. It dries within a minute or two. It’s great for when you’re short on time and don’t want to wait for your nails to dry. I would definitely buy more when they go on sale.

Glazewear Liquid Lip Color
I want to like this gloss, but I don’t. Let me tell you what I like about it: the doe-foot applicator is a plus, it’s moisturizing and non-sticky, the mild smell that’s delish and there’s no taste. The shimmer on the ones I got were not as glittery than I expected, which is a good thing. I give it 3 out of 5 because the gloss doesn’t give enough color. It’s too sheer for my liking. Maybe it was the color I chose, which was Dynamo, Rave and Coral Beat. But their trial sizes seems pigmented, I got them in Darling Pink, Berry Cool, Brown Sugar and Iced Pink. Another thing I don’t like about it is that there’s not enough product on the applicator when I pull it out of the tube, no matter how much I twist and turn to get some product on the applicator, there just wasn’t enough. It’s like the tube just wipes the product off like how a tube of mascara wipes the product off the wand.  I just hate to waste time to glob on some gloss just to show color, I just give up on trying in the end. Even though the minis were nicely pigmented, I wouldn’t buy the full size. My experience with it just turned me off.

 
top to bottom: Glazewear in Dynamo, Rave and Coral Beat

See? Not enough product on the applicator

l to r: Glazewear minis in Darling Pink, Berry Cool, Brown Sugar and Iced Pink

Supershock Mascara
I like how this mascara did not clump and it seperated my lashes and gave volume. It lasted all day, it did not flake, smear or smudge under my eyes. I have nothing bad to say about it except that I felt like the tube was empty and there wasn’t enough product on the brush, which I guess is a good thing, otherwise it’ll get clumpy. I would probably but this again.

Astonishing Lengths Mascara
This mascara is “meh” to me. Not too crazy about it. It didn’t seperate my lashes very well and it did not lengthen. Actually, it made my lashes look like spider legs, not the kind of look I’m going for.

Ultra Luxury Eyeliner
This eyeliner did not tug or pull my eyes, and they go on very smooth and easy. I got these in Black and Charcoal and I’m loving the Black. But they don’t last long if worn alone so I layer it with the Big Color Eye Pencil in Night Glisten and it makes such a big difference. I would definitely buy this again.

Big Color Eye Pencil
This pencil was made as a shadow and liner in one. I only use it as a liner so I can’t comment it as a shadow. The color I got was in Night Glisten and I love it! It’s black with a bit of shimmer and I think it’s great for the outer corner. The color stays true even in sunlight. The only downside of it is that it fades at the end of the day if you don’t touch up and it tends to smear a little, maybe because I have oily skin. But I find that if I layer it with the Ultra Luxury Eyeliner, it last all day. I would buy this again.

top to bottom: Glazewear Liquid Lip Color, Big Color Eye Pencil, Ultra Luxury Eyeliners,
Ultra Luxury Brow Liner and ColorTrend Mini Eyeliner

Top: Mini Eyeliner in Midnight Blue, Brow Liner in Light Golden Brown,
Eyeliner in Charcoal and Black, Eye Pencil in Night Glisten
Middle: Glazewear in Rave, Dynamo and Coral Beat
Bottom: Bronzer in Beachy

True Color Bronzer
OMG.. what can I say about this product? I just love it! I got this in Beachy and it’s perfect for my skintone. It’s not too dark, it’s not too light, it’s just right. It makes my face look like I was kissed by the sun. It’s great for when you want an added color to your face without looking like a clown.

courtesy of avon.com

ANEW Age-Transforming Pressed Powder
I swear carrying this around in my bag makes me feel like a cougar… LMAO! It claims to soften the look of wrinkles and fine lines… which I don’t have, but I do want to minimize the large pores. It doesn’t help with that problem But my boyfriend said that my face looks clean and he never says anything like that, but I guess he really noticed it that he had to say something. It didn’t help with my oily skin but with a few blots here and there with a tissue, my skin looks fantastic! I didn’t like the sponge applicator it came with so I have to pick up one of those refill applicator for pressed powder thingamajigs.

courtesy of avon.com

Now get that AVON catalog away from me before I go broke!!! 

For almost 2 months of waiting, this past weekend we’ve finally closed on the house and it’s now OURS!!! This is one of the biggest things that has ever happened to me and I’m so excited! A place to call my own, do whatever I want, however I want, without anyone telling me what to do. I already know how to decorate and furnish my home, it’s gonna be gorgeous! I won’t be moving in just yet though. Shane will be fixing up the place while I stay in NY so the kids can finish school and enjoy their vacay in Indonesia. So hopefully things will be done by the end of August.

Even though it felt like forever, my kids were very well behaved!

Shane hard at work signing the final papers

I FINALLY got the keys to our house

 
Home Sweet Home

Not too long ago, I received the occasional newsletter from Coastal Scents announcing their sales and new products and noticed the African Black Soap they were selling online. It looked kinda odd, but as I was reading the description, it’s got so many usage, from relieving acne, preventing itchiness and rashes, pore cleansing, washing hair and so much more. What really got me was this one long review on the product. So I ordered one, not from Coastal Scents, but from a seller on eBay. I ordered 1/2 a pound because I didn’t want to commit to buying anything bigger unless I knew it would work for me.

What is it exactly? The one I got is 100% natural. It contains no dyes, frangrance or preservatives and it came in a plastic tub for 1/2 pound. It can be packaged in a plastic bag depending on how much and where you buy it from. The feeling is somewhat similar to Play-Doh so it’s soft but firm enough to mold however you want.  You can cut it up to size and use little portions at a time. It has a light smell to it, like natural soap. And it lathers very well! To keep it last longer, I keep them in a wooden soap dish to keep it away from a pool of water. Otherwise it would melt and get slimy. You can find them at etsy.com.

Click here for full details

I know it looks odd but this is an awsome gift from mother nature!

On the first day I washed my face with this soap, my skin felt soft and tight, and I would feel this way throughout the day. What amazed me the most was how my skin wasn’t as oily as it would in the evening. And it seems like it helped smooth the appearance of my skin so my large pores look less noticable. Since then, I haven’t gotten any occasional breakouts, even during my period. I’ve also used this in the shower and my entire skin felt squeaky clean. I haven’t used this on my hair yet so I can’t comment on that. 1/2 a pound lasted me 3 weeks and I recently placed another order for 3 lbs. from another eBayer to stock up. I couldn’t get enough of this stuff. I suggest you give this a try and tell me what you think.

EDIT 2009.05.26: Okay, so this past weekend, it was mad hot, so I wore my sandals, which kinda ripped my skin off on one foot around the strap area. I took a shower using this soap that night and it felt like I had put rubbing alcohol. OUCH!!!! Also I recently shaved my armpits and it was stinging a bit. Not sure if it was the soap I recently bought from another eBayer, but I never had this problem from the first merchant. So if you want to try, I suggest you buy it from Coastal Scents or the eBay merchant garybuilt2last.

I got some stuff in the mail this past week and hid it from my boyfriend who was playing Gears of War 2 at the time, so I opened them in the bathroom I recieved my Crown brushes and was disappointed that 3 of the 10 that I ordered were out of stock. The ones that are missing were some eyeshadow brushes I wanted to use for the palettes I got recently. I ordered them on a Wednesday and got it the following Monday. It’s sort of an odd e-store they have on their website, you add your items and the minimum is $25, when you checkout, your order is not finalize until they send you an email and you provide them with your credit card information. I didn’t want to wait so I called them, gave them my order number and my credit card info. I just wish they could’ve told me that some of my brushes were out of stock, so I could order something else from a different line. But the guy on the phone was super friendly and I would definitely order from them again. I’m happy with what I got and it even came with a catalog! Did you know that they are suppliers for Coastal Scents? Just thought you wanna know

From top to bottom: C106 Pointed Dome, C104 Angled Brush, C155 Brow/Lash Groomer
C213 Chisel Mini Smudger, C112 Stiff Brow

I ordered the Studio Professional line cuz I personally like the look of it. The blush brushes, in general, didn’t shed and smell as much as I thought it would, even after washing them. It did got black but i washed it serveral times until the water ran clear. They feel kinda prickly but for a few seconds of applying blush, it shouldn’t matter as long as it’s doing its job. I LOVE the Angled brush! I bought this to use with my contour palette and it’s smaller and not as fluffy compared to my Essence of Beauty Control Powder Brush. It’s the perfect size for the job. The Pointed Dome brush is great for the apples!

The Stiff Brow brush I use with my Ardell Brow Defining Powder cuz I lost the brush that it came with. It’s an ok brush. It picks up alot of product on the brush that if I’m not too careful, I could end up looking like Groucho Marx! So I use the brush on the Brow/Lash Groomer to blend so that it doesn’t look too solid. And I finish my eyebrow (the outer portion) with Cover Girl’s Brow & Eye Maker in Midnight Brown.

I also recieved my J.Lynne order

Nicely packaged. It looked so nice, I didn’t want to open it!

J.Lynne Gloss FX Natural Lip Glaze in Neutrals, Peaches & Reds Collection
Top: Hilary, Jessica, Cameron, Jodie
Bottom: Penelope, Jennifer, Naomi, Sandra

J.Lynne Gloss FX Natural Lip Glaze in Pinks, Berries & Mauves Collection
Top: Keira, Rachel, Chloe
Bottom: Julianne, Evangeline, Scarlette

I received these as a free gift!
Illuminating Powder Mineral Glow in Lovely
Soft Silk Mineral Blush in Paso Doble

I’m at work right now and I quickly want to say that I received my Coastal Scents order I placed on Wednesday and they so friggin’ gorgeous!!! I’m so excited, I can’t wait to try them!

26 Color Shadow Blush Combo Palette – $21.95

26 Color Shadow Blush Combo Palette
I love how these comes in different sorts of colors from browns, pinks, plums and peaches and they’re are a mix of matte and shimmer finishes.

6 Color Contour & Blush Palette – $19.95

6 Color Contour & Blush Palette
I’ve been wanting to learn how to contour and with the products I have on hand just wasn’t cutting it. After watching xsparkage’s video, I HAD to have this. I was surprised at how big this one was. And I love the colors, you can mix two colors to achieve the look you want, it’s just fabulous!

I also placed an order with CrownBrush.com and ordered some brushes as I need to update my collection, so that should be coming soon. I know I should be saving money for my house, but I got some money from my returns and why not spoil myself with a little something. It’s been a long time since I spent money on anything for myself, but just don’t tell the boyfriend