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!)

I braved it… like I do every year. And every year, I say… “I’m not going out in the madness THIS year”. Yet, every year I find at least ONE thing that I simply *must* have. It’s like an addiction. I don’t really like shopping. Well, get me in an electronics store, or books, or purses and I can shop for hours and hours. Otherwise? no thank you. I’d rather shop online. I don’t like going to the malls… I used to when I was a teen, but I’ve long outgrown those days. Anyway… this year, i was excited to go through all the Black Friday ads. I was sure there were going to be tons of things listed that I *had* to have. To my surprise, there were but a few. — So, after cooking Thanksgiving Dinner… eating a delicious meal (yes, I’m bragging on myself here -lol- it was my first Thanksgiving Meal by myself).. then cleaning up the mess… take a much needed nap. I was preparing my strategy. I had to go to two places… Radio Shack and The Devil’s house… some may know this place by it’s nicer name… “Wal-Mart”.  So, at 4:15am off I go — first stop, Wal-Mart. Only needed to grab a few things, didn’t take long at all.. surprisingly, I got what I needed and all back in the car within 45 minutes. WOOHOO! Then, off I am across the street to Radio Shack. Only 2 people in line. YES, this is my day. LOL — so, I’m standing inline the store opens at 6am. That’s right, not 5:55am even though there were 20 employees there. Oh no. When they say 6:00am, they MEAN 6:00am sharp. The door oepns, and we rush in. I go directly to the side of the store for mp3 players. *GASPS* they have only ONE of the one that I want! My hand grasps it firmly and I’m not letting go! People swarm in behind me and trying to reach around me…. grabbing and pushing. I calmly, let them know that the Radio Shack person has to unlock the rack for them to come off. (umm DUH, you think I’m just standing here for my freaking health??). Anyway… The employee comes over and notices me, hell he should, I’ve been here since forever. He unlocks my mp3 player and takes it to the counter…. others’ are screaming “i want this one, I want that one” and he says — I’ll come back after I check her out. HAHHAHAHAHAHA -grins- So, with all that said and done, I got both items that I wanted and was out of the store in 15 minutes! I drive myself home in a daze (I’ve not slept except an hour earlier….) and get home… unload the car, and change clothes (halfway) and fall into bed. Ahhhh, another Black Friday Down. — I’m not going next year! (Yeah right…lol)

Now comes the time that I gotta start figuring out what to buy everyone. Part of me wants to do gift cards for everyone… but, that’s kinda boring. So, who knows. I’m not giving any hints here… (family might read this) LOL

If you’ve not shopped on a Black Friday before, you really should give it a shot. Sure, it’s a pain, but it’s also exciting. People are crazy… and I do mean CRAZY. There were fights at some stores… kids and adults both. Sure, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 is nice… but COME ON!! And yeah, the $99.99 laptop was cool too.. but it’s not worth fighting over. LOL  So if you go next year, best of luck! My advice? go with another person… divide and conqour!

… well testosterone is busting at the seams (I’m at Buffalo Wild Wings and FOOTBALL is on every tv that the eye can see). so I’m outta here for now

~S