Miami Heat Wave...

Dang if it isn't hotter than Haiti out here in Beantown with more hot. hot. hot weather predicted to take us through the weekend. It's already 90 degrees this morning and it's not even noon yet, but I'm not complaining. It's just with these extreme climate changes, our temps have gone from 60 to 90 in a flash!

It feels like California in July around here, so check out below how hot that really is.
Happy weekend Bloggers! And try to keep cool.


YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN California, USA
IN JULY WHEN...

~ The birds have to use potholders to
pull worms out of the ground.

~ The trees are whistling for the dogs.

~ The best parking place is determined
by shade instead of distance.

~ Hot water now comes out of both taps.

~ You can make sun tea instantly.

~ You learn that a seat belt buckle makes
a pretty good branding iron

~ The temperature drops below 95 and
you feel a little chilly.

~ You discover that in July it only takes
2 fingers to steer your car.

~ You discover you can get sunburned
through your car window.

~ You actually burn your hand opening
the car door.

~ You break into a sweat the instant
you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

~ Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is,
"What if I get knocked out and
end up lying on the pavement and
cook to death?"

~ You realize that asphalt has a liquid
state.

~ The potatoes cook underground, so all
you have to do is pull one out and
add butter, salt and pepper.

~ Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed
ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

~ The cows are giving evaporated milk.

A Blank Canvas

I put makeup on people for a living, so everyday, when I go to put on my own makeup, I have a host of choices to choose from. I always start with my complexion. I begin with a simple BB cream, which we already know I love, and I wear it as my primer, before I even out my complexion with a foundation/foundation powder.  My hands down favorite complexion enhancing product is Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, which is so very versatile and amazing, (with anti-aging properties) my friends call it the "magic dust". But recently I've been working with a wonderful creme-to-powder foundation called Water Canvas.

Vincent Longo's Water Canvas creme-to-powder foundation is a patented and award winning foundation that after one use, is easy to see why it's an award winner. It comes, pictured above, in a small tub and when you touch it, you feel a cool, smooth creme like no other. The touch test alone make you want to apply it immediately. This amazing product is made up of 75% water and oil free. When applied with a sponge or with the Beauty Blender, it gives the skin a medium to full, flawless coverage that looks completely natural and lightweight. Did I mention it feels great?

Water Canvas can be applied to the skin in so many ways. You can use your fingers, a sponge, a Beauty Blender, a foundation brush or a stippling brush and the result is a smooth, flawless complexion you will love.  I sometimes dust my Halo Powder, lightly over it to set. I used it HERE, to apply it over my contour and you can see for yourself the great result. At $57.00, it's not cheap, but it's worth every penny if you covet a flawless look to your complexion.

As I said before, I have many choices when it comes to makeup and people constantly ask me if it's ok to have more than one complexion enhancing product/foundation in their beauty wardrobe. I say YES! It's better to have more than one product, each one giving you a different result for different looks and even better when those products are paired together. You need not worry about looking "cakey" or overly made up, you just need to know what kind of look you want to create that day.

Experimentation is key, and I recommend the Vincent Longo Water Canvas Creme-to powder foundation to create a special glow to your skin. This amazing product can be found at The Candy Bar, and will give your "blank canvas" the right look for any occasion.

I Was Just Thinking....

• B's-Pittsburgh Sat night! I'm gearing up for a good hockey game. I think this is going to be the series of the playoffs. 

• Get this: buzz is that, this tea kettle is stirring up some major controversy. JC Penney put this "Bells and Whistles Stainless Steel Tea Kettle" on a major billboard on the 405 Freeway in Southern California. Seems innocent enough, right? Commuters and people in the area are complaining that the tea kettle resembles Adolf Hitler. Really??? The curved handle is said to resemble Hitler's hairline. Do you see it? Looks more like a Colorforms character to me.

• You've got to know things have taken a turn for the worst when you get a public lashing from Courtney Love. Evidently Love Tweeted some advice to falling teen star Amanda Bynes on Monday night. "Pull it together babe", Love Tweeted at Amanda Bynes, to which Bynes responded via Tweet: "Courtney Love is the ugliest woman I've ever seen, To be mentioned by her at all makes me and all my friends laugh." Hello Amanda? Have you checked the mirror lately? And if you have "all your friends" around you, why doesn't one of them tell you that you are on a crash course for disaster?

• Police say this guy...Who is known as "Thong Caped Scooter Man", isn't breaking any laws riding around Madison Wisconsin. Seems he got a little too close for comfort when he rode by an elementary school when the kiddies were walking to their bus. Staff at the JFK Elementary School in Madison alerted authorities that Thong Man was in the vicinity of an elementary school. He was questioned and said it was unintentional, but may have been "poor judgement". Good thing for Thong Man we live in the USof A, because he is free to exercise his constitutional rights. Although some may say he's just a bum....  

The Black Hole

So we have a dress code at work.

Our dress code is this: BLACK  (we mix it up with a few twists, like we can wear all white too, and we have "Funky Friday" when we can wear whatever we want)

But the majority of time spent at work is in all black. 

Having a dress code is new to me, and something I hadn't counted on until I made the decision to have a dress code. Leave it to me to impose a dress code that isn't necessarily essential to my current wardrobe.

It started out easily enough. I bought a few pairs of black pants and thought I was all set. What I didn't realize is that most of my black clothes are fancy-ier, dressy-ier, thank your everyday black for work. And now that it's spring/summer, it's getting harder to find black clothes among the clothes in my closet. I need a black shop day, where I go out and buy only black. But buying only black clothes for work somehow negates the idea of work entirely, doesn't it?

It's  like my wallet is the only thing that will soon become  the black hole.

Summer Kick Off!

Can you believe it?
Summer is here! This is the summer kick off weekend and I think we are all ready to rock and roll.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone, and please take a moment to remember the ones who fought so hard to make this country a great and free one. For the record, Monday is NOT National BBQ day. Instead it's an observance of the sacrifices the brave and strong made to ensure we will continue to be the home of the free.

But don't get me wrong, bloggers. Please enjoy your weekend BBQ's, just take a moment to remember. Peace! See you on the flip side.

Fun, Fun, Fun, Till Her Daddy Takes The T-Bird Away

It's been so wonderful having Frick home from college. Everybody is happy to be a complete family unit again. Even the dogs! I notice that Frick and Frack have a new found love and respect for each other, which is VERY rare and something I do not want to disturb. Part of this new buddy relationship may relate to the fact that they do not have to share a car anymore.

Quick back story: Frick left for college in August of 2012. Frack did not have his driver's licence at that time, so Frick's car sat unused until Frack got his licence in Feb 2013. Said car then became Frack's car, and you know how  a boy feels about his first car. When Frick came home on the occasional weekend during the year, it wasn't always smooth negotiations between the two of them for the car. BUT, lucky for us, we have 4 cars, and My Guy and I only need a car each for driving to work and back. Precious evenings out with their friends were salvaged by the parents carpooling at night. Problem temporarily solved right?

Wrong.

Now that we have Frick all to ourselves for the summer, the need for everyone to have their own car has reached a crescendo.Summer jobs, Frack still in school, my job, My Guy's job, we all need our own wheels. So what are we to do? Again, I said we are fortunate enough to have 4 cars. The fourth car is what we will call "the race car", and it's a two seater, five speed. The only one's that can drive a five speed in the family are My Guy and myself. The race car is a a little showy for My Guy to pull up to his office everyday, so guess who has to take one for the team and drive the rag top, race car everyday???

Oh hell YES! It's meee! and I'm loving it!

I have to say, driving a five speed is very freeing, especially when the top is down and the wind is blowing through your hair, but it's a lot of work too. It's definitely not as smooth sailing as an automatic, but who the hell cares? The work out, (I'm definitely getting an arm workout) and the power I am experiencing daily is a complete blast!! Heck, I may never give up this car. If it weren't for the severe winter weather here, one would have a hard time prying the key from my hand later in the year.

Nothing erases the stresses of a long day at work like the ride home, top down, in my race car and I'm taking downshifting to a whole new art form. I'm also feeling like I want my kids to experience this kind of joy, so I'm thinking it's time to teach them.But then again, if I do that, I may never see the race car again.

In fact, they may start fighting over the race car, and then we would be back to square one again.

No, I'm going to wait on Frick and Frack's stick shift lessons until later in the summer and keep on having my own personal fun. Because once I bring them in on the party, I know exactly what will happen.

It will be just like dear old dad taking my T-Bird away.

Those Who Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

Once again as a Nation we are riveted by tragedy 

This time it was Mother Nature and she delivered a most beastly devastation. The tornado in Oklahoma, an EF-5, on a scale to 5, spanned a mile long and wiped out an entire town with catastrophic damage. The Death toll was revised to 24 with 9 of them children.

Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with them. News videos of the complete destruction, and cars twisted and tossed in piles like jigsaw puzzle pieces in the suburban area's remind us that life is so precious and can be fleeting. It seems residents had less than 16 minutes to prepare for the deadly tornado.

What I took from this "nightmare scenario", is that everybody needs a plan. Experts are warning that a global climate change is upon us, and that nobody is safe from violent storms. They predict that Midwest tornados and storms will get stronger and the Northeast will experience more powerful and violent hurricanes. History so far has supported these claims.

So I decided my family, my staff, we all need to have a plan of emergency, one that we can put into action if needed. We are not strangers to extreme weather, especially here on the East Coast and I think it's time to prepare. As climate changes become more severe, we must adapt to the threat of danger and prepare. It's beginning to become cliche, like a TV sitcom episode about an emergency preparedness drill gone awry. But there's nothing funny about any of this.

This isn't an episode of "Happy Days". In fact these aren't Happy Days at all.

Friday Funny

A blonde was speeding in a 25 mile per hour residential zone when a local police cruiser pulled her over. 

The female police officer who walked up to the car also happened to be a blonde. She asked for the blonde's driver's license. The driver searched frantically in her purse for a while and finally said to the blonde policewoman, "What does a driver's license look like?'

Irritated, the blonde cop said, "Don't be a smartass!, it's got your picture on it!" The blonde driver frantically searched her purse again and found a small, rectangular mirror down at the bottom. She held it up to her face and said, "Aha! This must be my driver's license", then handed it to the blonde policewoman. 

The blonde cop looked in the mirror, handed it back to the driver and said, "You're free to go. And, if I had known you were a police officer too, we could have avoided all of this." 

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/blondejokes/blondepolicewomanjoke.html

Luck Be A Lady

This is Jessica Buchanan. Jessica could be considered one lucky American.

In the fall of 2011, Jessica and a Danish citizen Poul Hagen Thisted were working with children on a demining project in the Somali town of Adow, when they were kidnapped by Somali Pirates. Held for ransom for over three months, the Somali's nearly killed their golden goose, Jessica.

Apparently, the Somali's refused a 1.5 million dollar ransom offer and many attempts to free the hostages by the Danish Refugee Council were unsuccessful. Sick, half starved and beginning to give up hope, Jessica was recorded explaining that she thought she had what was a serious kidney infection, and feared that she would soon die.

For Jessica, luck soon intervened.

On January 25, 2012 a group of United States Navy Seals, late one night raided the compound where the hostages were being held, killed nine pirates and rescued Jessica and Poul. They brought medicine for a sick and weak Jessica and incredibly, as they carried her to the location where they waited for the helicopter to lift them away, the navy seals delicately placed Jessica on the ground then the entire navy seal team gently laid down on top of her to protect her from danger.

They laid down on top of her...They placed their lives before hers and ensured that Jessica would get back to the US safely.

Was it luck?

Some say Jessica placed herself in a dangerous situation that she could have avoided. That being where she was increased her chances of danger dramatically and that the US should not negotiate with terrorists. Personally, I feel that's an argument for another day. What I think the most incredible thing in this story is this:

They laid down on top of her.....

Was it luck that a Navy Seal Team rescued her that night when time was running out for her?
Was she in the wrong place at the wrong time or was she at the right place at the right time?
Maybe luck had nothing to do with it, but Poul Hagen Thisted reportedly said, in his interview after their rescue, he considered himself "lucky" to have been held hostage with an American.

Mooscles

It's All Good..

All good things today!

• Frick is on her way home from the Big Apple!!! Congrats to my baby girl for successfully completing her first year of under grad at NYU!! I'm so happy she's on her way home, I could just blow a whole bunch of bubbles!!

• Those AWESOME Boston Bruins pulled it off last night!!! I gotta say, I had given up. With a little over seven minutes to play and down 4-1, I gave up all hope and turned the game off. It wasn't until later, while I was taking a relaxing hot tub outside, that Frack came out and informed me that I was missing an EPIC Bruins comeback. We watched the overtime together and YES! I called it! I said to Frack, when the B's were pressing in the crease, "they're gonna score". Frack replied, "I don't think so. The rest is Bruins history. Boston Strong is an understatement. Thank you Boston for always providing us with the most amazing, come from behind, exciting victories! It's no wonder we are sports obsessed in this town. You always deliver!!

• I am a blessed woman. Blessed to have a wonderful family that gave me the most incredible mother's day and which continues to support me in everything I do. And truly blessed to have the most talented and amazing staff at The Candy Bar. We just completed a long week and my staff stepped up and produced awesome work! I couldn't be prouder of the things that we are accomplishing at the store. 

I am grateful for all of my blessings. 

What are you grateful for?

The 80's Child

If they say the heart of Rock and Roll is still beating, then this album is more than barely breathing.
80's mega band Huey Lewis and The News,  today celebrate the 30th anniversary of their number one, award winning album, Sports.

Thirty years ago I was exactly the one who was falling for "The Power of Love", as I had posters of the band and clean cut, raspy voiced Huey Lewis adorning my adolescent bedroom walls. The affable Lewis, and his band mates didn't always feel that  loving power, though. They didn't hit record gold until their sophomore album, Picture This with the mega hit- "Do You Believe In Love?" that fueled a 35 weeks run on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.

With the release of Sports in 1984, the band was fast becoming a household name and went multi-platinum with their four, Billboard Top Ten hits, "Heart and Soul", "I Want a new Drug", "The Heart of Rock and Roll" and "If This Is it".  Following their ascent into fame, they then released their fourth album, a chart topping number one, Billboard 200 Album, "Fore!". That album produced five more top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and it then went triple platinum. Suddenly it was very, "Hip to Be Square".

The band is back and embarking on a tour in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Sports debut. Judging by this morning's appearance on Good Morning America, the boy has still got it, the band is still rockin' and still delivering that special Huey Lewis sound.


So, relax Huey, no need to let you know, "If This Is It", someone would have told you a long time ago.

A HILARIOUS Peace Offering

I'm so sorry...

Really I am.

Saying that I have been just so crazy busy at work, getting up at the crack of dawn and getting to the store, setting up and preparing for all three events this week, then realizing way too late that I forgot about YOU, is just no excuse. Except that one pays the bills....

So as a peace offering, today I offer you this: one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time.
I watched the entire thing and it was well worth it.

SO take a moment to watch what someone else does with their very own 15 minutes of fame.

And then forgive me, OK? Are we friends again?

Golden Moments

So, I literally just saw this on TV, and I hardly wiped the tear from my eye when I ran here to tell you about it.

See that gorgeous Golden Retriever there? That awesome animal is part of a wonderful organization called K9 Comfort Dogs. A charitable organization run by the Lutheran Church, K9 Comfort dogs are a group of 60 dogs whose sole purpose is to be pet and provide comfort to those in need. These trained service dogs are providing the country with a whole lot more than comfort. 

Since the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, Maggie, a K-9 Comfort dog has been serving at the Sandy Hook Elementary School everyday since the deadly shootings. Tim Hetzner, President of the Lutheran Church Charities, says the dogs are sometimes better than a grief counselor. 

"Some people hold onto the dog for five minutes or more because that's what they need," Hetzner said. "It depends on the person and what they're going through."


Soon, Hetzner said, the people begin speaking to the dogs. 

"They tell the dog the story of what happened," Hetzner said. "Dogs are great listeners…. They can sense when someone is struggling."


Those fantastic K9's jetted to Boston the day after the Marathon bombings and laid on the bricks just outside the First Lutheran Church on Berkley Street to provide hugs for those in mourning. Studies have shown that just petting a dog can decrease a patient's stress. 


"Being around dogs helps decrease patients' stress by prompting the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone that bonds mothers to babies. Studies have shown that patients who are around dogs have increased levels of dopamine -- the "happy" neurotransmitter that helps relieve depression – as well as endorphins and adrenaline."

I agree. 

And there's no better way to take away the pain, if just for a brief moment, by hugging or petting a loving animal. I think the world could use a little K-9 Comfort. Don't you?

Tray-Say

So I totally suck today.
I'm crazy at work and  I've got like no time today, so I thought I'd share with you something that has become somewhat ingrained in my mind and my vocabulary.

My kids showed me this and I swear, I watched it once and started quoting "Tray-Say" regularly. Now my friends have caught on and even my employees know about Tracy.

I'm not sure why this stuck with me but it did. You'd think I was more mature than this?
I guess not. Like Tracy says, "What err.."

Did I Ever Tell You About The Time I Was Robbed?

Twenty Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

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5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbour to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewellery. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. [Don't take me up on it.]
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbours.
16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbour hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighbourhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your social networking site. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

Maybe I'll tell my story soon.

Like I Died And Went To Heaven

Seriously, fellow fashionistas take note.

I'll be first in line, with my carrots and celery sticks.