Many years ago, back in the day of blazing blue eye shadow, stripper-red lips and nails, magic marker thick black eyeliner, I had a big makeup case (aka: Caboodle). This thing was HUGE. It had three or four trays that would flair out on each side, once the lid was lifted, also two or three trays that lifted up in the middle, and it was deep. I could hold everything in there… and believe me I did. That thing was full with whatever was on sale, usually ‘Wet-N-Wild” brand makeup. It was a treat to have something like Cover Girl, because I was definitely not ‘born with it’ so maybe it was Maybelline. I was obsessed with makeup. That was when; being obsessed with makeup and hair products was the ‘in thing’. All my friends were, so why not. I didn’t have any sisters or brothers (no, not spoiled… just well loved), but I had a mom and two aunts. My family really is who I consider my BEST friends. No question about that. Growing up with my mom and aunts, I was surrounded by estrogen. There were men, sure, but the female power in my family, is something fierce. Whether they are working outside the home doing what they have to, to provide a better life for their families, or staying at home raising their children, or a mixture of both… the women in my family are well, simply amazing. But, that’s another topic all together. Now, back to the makeup. I learned how to apply my makeup via watching and learning from my mom and aunts. My grandma did the hair-do teaching, she is now a retired beautician and ran her own shop out of her house for most of my childhood. We went through the horrific AWESOME 80’s. Makeup was loud and proud. Then, there was a time that I just simply did the basics. I got tired of all the fuss. As I grew older, my makeup case became a bag, and contained the essentials, but no ‘tools of the trade’. I didn’t care about brushes and sponges; I didn’t care about shades or shapes. All that I cared about was that it covered what it had to, and that I seemed to feel a little better when wearing it.
 

As I’ve grown older (okay, actually just lately, and a lot of influence by my best friend, V) I’ve become re-obsessed with makeup. Only this time? I’ve realized that it really DOES matter what’s in your makeup case. That’s right, C-A-S-E… not bag. I’ve traded in the bag and got a pink(shush)-cammo train case makeup case. And guess what, it’s not big enough now. I have a makeup brush set, complete with it’s own special rollcase to protect it. I’ve switched shopping the Cover Girl and Maybelline aisles and started shopping at Ulta and Sephora. I am… a makeup snob. I can’t help it. There’s so much to choose from. There’s glitter and sparkles. There’s deep and dark. There’s bright and light. I have every color under the rainbow and then some. I’ve discovered Urban Decay and Too Faced.  Gotten lost amongst Smashbox and Red Earth. I don’t know how I ever survived without Bare Escentuals. I can’t get enough of OPI. It’s insane really. And the names, I mean really… who can resist? Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Grind, Fishnet, Gash, Last Call, and the list goes on and on. I walk in, innocently enough, to buy ONE tube of mascara and some foundation… Way too much money later, I walk out with a bag full with: 1 glitter liquid eyeliner, 1 tube of eyeshadow primer, 1 glitteresque eyeliner, 1 very sparkly eyeshadow… all via this neat little thing: Best of Urban. Oh, and my mascara and foundation. I was so happy. This is when, I realized…. I have a problem. I’m a makeup-whore. You may need to send backup. Send me to a support group, do an intervention! Either that, or just send cash. Oh, and I take paypal… (umm, thanks V!)

Dear Self,

Just as an FYI of things to ponder.

My December
Beautiful Silence
Tragic Beauty
Unwritten Symphony
Simple Complexity
*Little Earthquakes
*Say When
-Catch and Release
Coquettish
Write And Wrong
*In Omnia Paratus (Latin; Ready for Anything)
*The Glitter Remains
……..

Geez, the list keeps getting longer. Will the madness end?

I find myself wanting a new blog name. Yes, once again. I can’t help it. Sometimes, things just all of a sudden don’t seem to *fit* me. I need a new design for the blog too, sometimes I’m really growing tired of the flowers.

Both the name and the design, are something that I’m not able to find one where I truly like a lot.

I’ve always been a bit of a movie freak enthusiast. But, I go in phases in how often I get to go watch them at the theatre. Often, I end up waiting until it’s on DVD and then renting and/or buying it at that point. However, there’s something about going to the movie theatre. The surround sound that makes you feel like you’re in the movie. The reactions and interactions of others as they watch the movie. The big screen where you can see the tiniest of detail. I love it. The part that I don’t like? The price. It used to be you could go to the movies, and with popcorn a drink and some candy, still come out pretty cheap for a night of entertainment. Now days, you can drop $20 per person, easily. The movies are no longer $3.50 or even $5.00. No, now they are $8.50 unless you happen to catch a matinee, which I rarely get to catch. The moives are $8.50. Then for popcorn and a drink, there’s another $10. PER PERSON! Of course, if you only treat yourself every once in awhile, that doesn’t sound too bad. When you are a movie freak enthusiast it can add up. I’ve went to the movies the past two weekends, and have seen some really good movies.

Last weekend was: 3:10 to Yuma with Russell Crow and Christian Bale. This was a pretty good movie. I generally don’t like westerns, but this one held my interest. Though, I’m not 100% sure that wasn’t due to Russell Crow. ~yum.

This week was: Why Did I get Married directed by Tyler Perry. I really enjoyed this movie. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it kept me entertained. I like Tyler Perry productions, and this one certainly wasn’t a let down. I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD, it’s going in my collection for sure!

…. I wonder what next weekend’s movie will be.