Benson Route 1 at Maple & Military

Benson
Route 1
Looking
East at
Military and
Maple.  Creighton and Riverfront.  I don't know why, but 
I love these signs.  

Budweiser Chelada Can Flat

First Pic w/My New Phone.

Christmas Eve 2013: Shasta Mountain Rush Flat

Freshly Flattened.

So thrilled ... my phone can't take a crisp, clear, focused picture to save its life, but it can take a great image after dark in a dimly lit parking lot between two cars with me between the phone and the only light source.  During the day every picture comes out fuzzy.   
With my Samsung 
SC
H-R720, 
I was used to taking crisp pictures where I can actually read the ingredients on squashed can labels, have clear definition on logos and signs, and actually see details when 
I zoom in.  This new phone, a 
Cricket brand M
T, is really pissing me off with its poor photo quality.

Qwest Manhole Cover

Blue = 
Orton Pics
Art) 
Filter Applied. 
Less Blue 
= No 
Filter. I 
Like How 
Adding the Filter 
Changes the Details 
You Can 
See.

Earring on Post

Close Up.  Somebody 
Lost an Earring at the 
Bus Stop.  
It Could 
Be the Biggestv
Hoop Earring 
I've Ever 
Seen.

Christmas Decorations Below 1st National Bank

December 2013.  There are big concrete planters in the little plaza at the back door to 1st 
National Bank at 16th 
& Dodge in 
Omaha.  There's 
Christmas decorations in them right now.  Today is 
February 14th, 2014.  I took this picture in 
before
Christmas 2013.  There's a 
Scooter's Coffeehouse down under the bank.  
I've been getting coffee, usually a large Carmelicious, there a couple times a week since 
October 2013.  Before that, 
I think I went in there twice in the last 5 years.  
I don't know if the Christmas decorations in the plaza are a yearly thing.

Dr. Scholl's Active Series Insoles

In October 2013, I received a pair of Dr. Scholl's Active Series insoles free for testing purposes from Influenster.  The instructions on the package say to remove the (firmly glued in) insoles from one's athletic shoes and replace them with the Dr. Scholl's inserts.  I am not going to remove the padding from any pair of shoes, especially the brown Champion brand walking shoes into which I put the Active Series inserts.  Champion walking shoes have extremely thin soles.  I already had Dr. Scholl's (blue with jelly-like yellow padding on the underside) insoles in the shoes, which I removed and swapped out for the Active Series insoles.  I am thrilled to report that the Active Series insoles actually fit my walking shoes front to back without being cut.  They were a little narrow at the toe, and I was afraid they would shift and leave my big toe or the outside of my foot hanging off the edge, but they haven't shifted, so I am happy with the fit.  They provided excellent shock absorption and good arch support.  I have trouble finding insoles with high enough arches, so the Dr. Scholl's Active Series inserts surprised me in that respect.  I am still looking for padded insoles with higher arches, but these are the best so far.  I really enjoy how comfortable they make my shoes and the padding they provide.  I was about to give up on my Champion walking shoes and throw them out because they didn't have enough padding in the sole even with the previous Dr. Scholl's inserts I was using.

Mary Kay Glamour VoxBox from Influenster

I received the Mary Kay Glamour VoxBox free for testing purposes from Influenster.  Included in the box were a Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara, a Lash Primer, a Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm, a True Dimensions Lip Stick in Pink Cherie, and a Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush.  I think it's a great mix of products that appeals to a lot of people.  I only tested the lip stick and the cream eye shadow. 

The Mary Kay True Dimensions Lip Stick in Pink Cherie is nearly identical to the Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart.  It does feel a little waxier than the lip butter, but not too much, which I like.  I don't like how regular lip sticks feel on my lips.  The color is a warm neon pink, which really brings out the natural redness in my face.  I won't be wearing Pink Cherie much because of that.

The cream eyeshadow in the color Violet Storm is beautiful.  It's a gorgeous lavender color.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me.  It creased and melted, then wore off really bad in my eyelids.  It was fun to try, but I'm not ready to leave the house wearing eyeshadow yet.

I really dislike that Mary Kay products are both made and sold in China, where testing on animals is mandatory.  I have been trying to switch to cruelty-free products which are made in the U.S.A when possible, although it is much more difficult than I expected.  I am an impulse buyer and pretty colors are my weakness.

Review: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso.

I love getting lip product samples, whether they're in my Birchbox, a gift with purchase, or a sample like Jouer sometimes sends out if you were to e-mail them.

I think I hate the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick that I got in my August Birchbox.  It's the color Beso, which looks orange-red in the tube, but it dries much darker and turns a blue-red.  When I got my box, I tried the lip stick first thing.  I did not have a problem with it staining my lips and I don't remember it being hard to remove.  I think I may have had lip gloss on before I applied the liquid lipstick those times.  I tried it again today hoping to get a picture of my lips wearing it.  It was a total failure.

1. It's a horrible mess to apply, but I'm not the best at applying lip stick anyway, so I just cleaned the edges & corners with a bit of paper towel like I always do.  Compared to other highly pigmented lip sticks, I did have to work harder at cleaning up Beso.

2. It takes 1/2 an hour to dry, it really dries matte, and it feels uncomfortably dry on my lips.  I do not like how it feels at all.  It stays wet and sticky for about 10 minutes.  Then it starts to feel dry and sticky.  After that, it feels so dry it's almost painful.

3. I didn't blot it, so it looked freaking bumpy, so after it dried it looked like I put it on over a cold sore in a bunch of spots.  I did blot it when I wore it before, and there were no bumps when it dried then.

4. The lines on my lips look 5 times deeper with this lip stick than with anything else I've ever worn. How does it do that?  My lips looked super-dehydrated and cracked, which they are not because I use a crap-ton of moisturizing lip gloss every day.  I also exfoliate my lips.

5. Removing this Stila lip stick with the make up wipe was messy and took more than a few swipes, but completely effective and there was no staining of my lips, so I guess that's 1 positive thing. I did have to work at it.  I don't think it was that hard to get off before, probably due to the lip gloss under it.

All said, I'm giving the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick a grade of D+ because it's a bigger pain in the ass to wear than any other lip product I own.  I'm not giving it an F because it doesn't bleed outside the edges of my lips and I really like the dark red color of Beso.  I didn't use a lip liner like I do with any other red to prevent the bleeding and migrating at the edges.

Another Chanel Peridot Dupe?

Painted and Photographed Saturday, August 17, 2013.  Left: Outside.  Right: Inside.  Finger Paints brand Fall of Surprises Copper Glitter over OPI Just Spotted the Lizard and Color Club Editorial.  OPI on Thumb, Middle Finger, and Pinkie.  Editorial on Index Finger and Ring Finger.  They are the Exact Same Color.  Three Coats.  Orly Bonder Base Coat and In-A-Snap Top Coat.

August Birchbox Points Haul

Look What Arrived Today! 

Original Total $19.50.  Used 200 (4 Months' Worth) Birchbox Points.  Paid Nothing.  Shea Terra Black Soap. Color Club Editorial.  Pick 2 Pack = Vapour Lip Gloss & 12 Benefits Hair Treatment.

Excited to Try Everything.  Especially the Soap.

Palmolive Soft Touch from Influenster

Palmolive Soft Touch--Soft On Hands--Tough On Grease





Palmolive Soft Touch comes in 3 varieties--Vitamin E, Aloe, and Coconut Butter. I received Vitamin E and Aloe free from Influenster for testing purposes. I bought the Coconut Butter at Wal-Mart using 1 of 5 $1.00 off coupons that Influenster sent. Palmolive Soft Touch $2.64/bottle at Wal-Mart. I left the rest of the coupons in the dish soap aisle at Wal-Mart.

For cleaning power, I prefer Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil. It's harder to completely rinse off the Palmolive Soft Touch, especially the Vitamin E. Palmolive Soft Touch feels more slippery when I'm doing the dishes, but it doesn't look or feel like it lathers as well as the Lime Basil. Palmolive Soft Touch does get rid of any stuck on food and get my dishes clean and fresh, but I feel like it takes less effort to do the dishes with Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil than it does with any of the 3 kinds of Palmolive Soft Touch.

The Palmolive Soft Touch in Vitamin E and Aloe smell nice, kind of fresh, and not overpowering. I don't like the Coconut Butter scent. I've used Palmolive Fresh Sponge, the clear eco-friendly Palmolive, and Palmolive Pomegranate. They work great, but the smell of each of them makes me nauseous. The Lime Basil scent, however, is fantastic. I am trying to find candles that smell like Lime Basil. I don't mind the smell of Palmolive Soft Touch Vitamin E or Coconut Butter, but I wouldn't buy them again based on scent or cleaning power. The smells of each remind me of the clear eco-friendly Palmolive, which makes me nauseous. The Coconut Butter also left a scent and a taste on my plastic Ziploc bowls I use for my lunch at work, despite thorough rinsing. Disgusting. I do not want my food to smell and taste like dish soap. The Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil has never left a smell or a taste on my dishes. I love it for that.

I do dishes a lot. I've been using the Aloe Soft Touch and I've only tried the Vitamin E and Coconut Butter scents a couple times. Palmolive Soft Aloe doesn't dry out my hands any more than they already are, but I don't see any improvement in the softness off my hands after I do the dishes. I guess it's good it doesn't make my hands drier after I do the dishes than before I do them, but based on how Palmolive Soft Touch is marketed, I did expect improvement in the softness of my hands.

Overall, I know I will stick with Palmolive Fresh Infusions Lime Basil rather than repurchase any of the Palmolive Soft Touch. I like the Aloe variety the best. It has the best scent. They all clean great, but I prefer the Lime Basil with it's great lather, ease of rinsing, and wonderful scent.

Thanks for Reading, Everyone. Have Fun and Blessed Be.

Preview: Cricket's Bay Summer Collection Hand-Knotted Hair Ties

Here's a preview of my Summer Collection 2013, which I'm releasing in my Etsy shop in about a week.  Neon Orange.  Bright Blue. White.  Purple.  Lime Green.  I still have to heat seal the ends to prevent fraying.  The colors are not right in this picture.  I can't get the white balance right on my phone's camera.  I'm still working on getting better pictures.  I may change out the green for another color.

Review: Orly Nail Polish

I have several Orly nail polishes.

Orly Rage 40293, Cherry Bomb 40503, Twilight 40269, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe 40309, Winter Wonderland, and Star Spangled 40721.

I go for metallics, pearls, and glitters. Orly is great for these, and they last pretty well on my nails. They don't bubble and they don't take forever to dry. The glitters are wonderful with a few  coats by themselves and so beautiful with one coat over cream polishes. I also use the Orly In A Snap top coat and the Orly Bonder base coat. I used to use Seche Vite, but the Orly base coat and top coat actually work better for me.

Orly Rage is my go-to neutral nail polish. I love the color. I love the way it applies. I love how it lasts without chipping. It's great under one coat of glitter from any brand of nail polish.

Orly Twilight looks like metallic silver glitter in the bottle, but on my nails over any cream or jelly polish it just looks like a shiny clear top coat. Three coats does nothing to change how it looks. The glitter does not show up in Twilight.

How to Make a Galaxy Print Shirt

Great Video.  Step-By-Step.  Watch boatpeoplevintage Make a Galaxy Print Shirt.

Watch "DIY nebula / galaxy print - fashion tutorial" on YouTube

It comes out a beautiful mess of pink, blue, purple, and white on a black crop top.  She shows a bit of a plain black and white galaxy print on the back of the shirt as well.  I think this is an awesome idea and an awesome shirt as well.