Poo magnet, teeth whiteners & mascara quests

I'm on the prowl for a good teeth whitener.  I've tried Crest Whitestrips and after one use it feels like someone has taken razor blades to my gums, so that's out.  I've also tried Go Smile and it's results seemed average (although the razor blade gum situation wasn't as bad).  I'm willing to give Go Smile another chance because I tried it 2 years ago, and probably never did the full ten days worth of teeth torture, so I shall keep y'all posted.  In the meantime, if y'all have any teeth whitening tips, I'm listening!

I'm feeling concerned that Dugg isn't missing the Husbo and I at all.  My parents are sending lots of photos of Dugg's Canadian adventure, and I'm pretty sure he's stoked to be at our cabin on a lake in perfect weather, as opposed to sweltering away in the Texas heat.  He's also suspiciously cuddly with people, which I'm choosing to ignore, because I want him to only be that cuddly with me!!  I'm a jealous mum.  One more thing I'm concerned about re Dugg:  As we know from previous blogs, I have a tendency to get Dugg's sh*t on me at least once/month.  This, turns out, is not normal.  It never happens to anyone else.  I'm working on this dilemma:  Poo magnet.
 

Dugg tanning on the new deck 

Dugg manipulating his grandma into a lil' treat.  I taught him this look.
I have it perfected.  Ask the Husbo.

So the whole fam damn is meeting in Toronto on Thursday to celebrate my mum's 60th and my sister-in-law's getting called to the bar.  Dugg gets to have a week with Mandy, one of my oldest and greatest girlfriends, to play on a farm with horses and various other doggy friends.  Seriously what a life he has.

Here's a few fun pics of the fun that's been going on in the last week or so for me...  It's been lots of exploring, mixed in with some great makeup jobs, and  fun visits from friends!

San Antonio River Walk: Sweating ballz off

One of my best GF's from high school, Sarah, came with her boyf from Austin for my 29th b-day!  
The Husbo took us to a glutinous breaky at my fav place, Benjy's.

One of these things is not like the other...
Sarah looking shrimpy beside my 6'5" Husbo, and her 6'4" boyf.

In makeup news, I've continued my never ending mascara hunt, in hopes of replicating my all time favourite, Maybelline lash stylist, which has been discontinued and kills me.  I was at MAC, helping a friend pick out some eyeshadow colours that would work with her look, and asked the sales lady what mascara she thought "created the most obnoxious lashes".  She directed me towards MAC's Zoom mascara.  My review is this:  I liked that it was a very "wet" mascara, because you could get a lot of product on the lashes quickly, however because of this "wetness" factor, it can also get all over your top eyelid VERY EASILY.  Also, you can't wait for it to dry between coats or it'll be clumpy.  It does lend to a more dramatic lash look, but I don't think I'll be rushing to purchase another one.  Sigh.

I'm off.  Say "yes" to queso.  It's delicious.

xo T

Wanna buy a pig trap? Or how 'bout some potato salad...

My frequency of posting is down.  I may have bitten off more than I can chew when it comes to posting almost every day...  However, I'm trying my bestest to blog when the time arises!  It's been a hectic/great/adventurous little while...  BIG WEDDINGS (9 bridesmaids ++!!) and lots of bridal shoots, which I love.  The Husbo and I also did a quick romantic jaunt to San Antonio for Memorial Day weekend, which was pretty cool; well actually it was scorching hot (100 degrees), and I've never seen so many tourists in my life; but we took the opportunity to order dessert in bed, and of course, my favourite part of staying in a hotel:  Breakfast in bed ($20 toast always tastes better).  We saw the Alamo, and tried to get a feel for the city, but it was sooooo hot, and the line-ups, and people were everywhere, so we just did our own thing, and ended up having a very romantic time.  I also was exposed to my first Buc-ee's: the HUGEST gas station/convenience store/restaurant/grocery/hunting supply/tractor store I've ever seen in my life.  Seriously, for a Canadian girl like me, it was pretty weird to see this PACKED pit stop in the middle of nowhere, with a couple in line in front of me holding a pig trap, and the person behind me buying tampons and a salami plate.

In about an hour, I'm off to Dallas.  I'm excited!!  It'll be my first time there, and I really want to check out a few of the museums, and see the site where JFK was shot.  There's also a mega hipster area that has lots of fun boutiques and restaurants apparently, so I'm stoked to see that (I'm due for a shopping excursion).  With all this travel and excessive heat/sweating, I've started a new makeup/hair routine.  It's serving me well, and I thought I would share it with y'all as the weather is getting warmer almost everywhere in the world, and I have a good couple of tricks to add to your repertoire of Théa-Fication.

Ok, so starting with the hair:  I'm not an every day hair washer.  Don't judge me. but I'm not, nor will I ever be if I can avoid it.  What I've started doing is after washing, I let it air-dry until it's just damp, then I run a little bit of Jojoba oil through the bottom half of my hair as it tames any frizz, and keep things looking polished.  I twist my almost-dry hair into a bun on top of my head to let it finish drying for the next couple of hours.  When I take my hair down, I have loose, luscious waves, and no heat damage or effort... optimal.

Next for the makeup:  With all the sweateing I've been doing, I'm using predominantly mineral makeup;  My favourite being Laura Mercier's Pressed Mineral Powder.  It seems to stay on the best, and I love the finish.  This is followed by LOTS of bronzer, right now I'm obsessed with Bobbi Brown's Rich Cocoa, and concealer.  I fill in my brows, because if I don't I look frightening, and move onto the eyes.  Lately I've been skipping the eyeshadow, and concentrating on smudging a thin line INTO my upper and lower lashes, and blending with my finger so everything is soft and smokey, and then lining my inner rim of my eyes as well so that it deepens the soft lining of the lashes, without looking "made up".  I follow this with a TON of mascara, and the overall effect is a soft, sexy, sultry beachy look.  

You may refer to me as Paula Dean today

I'm feeling very proud of myself today; cocky even.  I played a good southern wife, got up early and made a delicious chilli, to simmer for 5+ hours before the Canucks play game 4 this afternoon, and a lil' southern style authentic cornbread from scratch.  Now our whole house smells like delicious meaty chilli and fresh baked bread, and the Husbo is feeling very pleased with this wife of his...  I did make him go to the store and buy embarrassing female products because I don't want him to think that I'm taking on the southern housewife role as a permanent thing; just when I get the urge.   Behold our deliciousness:

Deeelish!!!!

For those interested in the recipes I used, here ya go!!:

Game-Day Chilli

• 2 pounds extra lean ground beef (I used 1 pound)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer (I used a bottle of Shiner - Local delicious Texas beer)
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• Garnish: pickled jalapeño pepper slices

Directions

• Cook first 3 ingredients in a Dutch Oven over medium heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink.  Drain well.
• Combine meat mixture, beans, and next 11 ingredients in Dutch oven; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 3-5 hours or until thickened.  Garnish if desired.

Authentic Southern style Cornbread

• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Put a dry, well-seasoned 9- to 9 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet in middle of oven to heat. (The skillet is the key to making the cornbread extra authentic...)
• Stir together cornmeal, baking soda, and salt, crushing any small bits of baking soda. Whisk eggs in another bowl until blended and whisk in buttermilk.
• Remove hot skillet from oven carefully and add butter, swirling gently to coat bottom and sides of skillet. (If butter begins to sizzle and brown around edges, so much the better.)
• Whisk hot butter into buttermilk mixture and return skillet to oven. Stir cornmeal into buttermilk mixture just until moistened. (The batter doesn't have to be smooth—a few small lumps are good.)
• Scrape batter into hot skillet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Invert skillet over a platter and cool bread at least 3 minutes.

This last week was a CRAZY one!!  Lots of bridal shoots, and prom, and new brides to be!  Wedding season is in FULL SWING here in Houston!  Speaking of Houston, the Husbo and I are considering moving to a different area of Houston called the Woodlands...  We're gonna drive out there tonight for dinner to get a feel for the the place, and see what type of vibe we get.  It's more small town/community-ish we think - which has it's positives and negatives - yet still has posh stores and fabulous restaurants (and a HUGE Sephora thank G)...  I think Dugg would be in HEAVEN there!  Duggy is in Canada right now with his Grandparents, and we miss him TERRIBLY!!!!  He's discovered snakes and cows, and doesn't know what to do with either (personally if I saw a snake I would shat myself, and well cows, they just stink).

Ok Game's on!  Go Canucks!!!!

Leggings aren't pants.  Just a reminder.

xo T

Minimalist embarkment

Something is wrong with me, and/or I've had a shift in my beauty psychology, as lately all I want is minimalist makeup, and no fuss looks.  For those that know me, this is a strange statement coming from me.  Maybe it's all the travelling, or the shift in Houston weather to HOT and HUMID, but all of a sudden I'm all about pairing down to the essentials for my day looks.  I've also always admired those women who have the "no makeup" makeup looks.  Anyways, lately I've been going for this, and with my rehabbed hair situation (no die has touched these strands in 7 months - another large accomplishment), I'm at risk of being a lil' too boho hippy, as opposed to boho chic (I have a deep seeded hate for birkenstocks, patchouli and dreadlocks - gag - so I'm not really at risk of the hippy lifestyle...  don't fret).  Anyways, I've decided that the minimalist makeup look can be gorgeous; some examples of what I mean are below:

The look concentrates on clean, fresh skin, and groomed brows.  LOTS of Mascara and a hint of colour on the lips brightens everything up a bit.  Both of these women are clearly wearing makeup, but I like that they look so fresh and not so made up.  I've been taking this look a bit more bronzy (as I have a bronzer addiction), and bronzing up my face (contouring), and adding a lil' extra highlighter to the cheek and brow bones.  I dig it.  I've had a few "you're glowing" remarks, which is better than "you're sweaty".

Give 'er a try!  You may just shave off a few getting-ready minutes and look glam all the same!

Off to play wedding dress up with another beautiful bride to be!

xo T

I'm Baa-aaack

Back in Houston that is.  I loved loved loved my trip, and all the makeup fun it involved!!!  Here's a pic of one of the fun group lessons I did in Vernon.  Very fun, with lots of laughs!!

The ladies learning to use eyeshadow as eyeliner.....

It's so interesting to me to hear and see the misconceptions out there about the application of makeup.  It's not fair for all this misinformation to be out there, and then expect people to know how to apply their makeup in the most flattering way!  I've put together a list of tips/tricks that most people did not know about/had trouble with:

Under eye concealer application:  I've actually made a video tutorial specifically for this purpose, which can be viewed here.  It's all about applying the concealer in a triangle formation from the inner corner of the eye, to the outer corner of the nose, and up to the outer corner of the eye.  Sound confusing?  Don't worry, the video makes it clear.

Eyeshadow colours and application:  Most women get in a rut, and use the same shadows over and over again.  What I want to show women everywhere, is that with the right application techniques, your shadow options are limitless.  There's a couple techniques that should be used, and BLENDING is always key, but for a day time eyeshadow technique you can follow the shadow principles of Bridget Bardot (you don't need to do the intense liquid liner shown in this video, an eyeshadow applied with an angled brush, or a pencil liner will do for most people!); or for a day time smokey eye, check out the following video.  If you want to deepen it up, and bring your day look to a night look, there's a video that shows you how here.

Lipstick that's to dark!!:  For whatever reason, there is am entire generation of women, rollin' around with lipstick that makes them look ten years older and kinda which-esk.  Dark maroon, plum, purple, and brown lipstick has to go!!!  It's so aging, and overall not cool!  Stick to the neutral shades of pinks and corals, and follow with a gloss.  Better yet, just go with a coloured gloss!  It won't travel up any fine lines of the lips, and looks luscious and beautiful!

Ok so those are the top three things I found to be an "issue" amongst the beautiful bevy of women I was lucky enough to work with last week!

Enjoy the tips, and use them.  People will thank you.

xo T

Idle hands....

Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi hi hieeeeeeee!!!!!!!!  Ok, a quicky between makeup lessons.  I've been a bad blogger!  However, that doesn't mean I haven't discovered a few DELICIOUS new buys recently.  I thought I would share them with y'all before I'm off to do a makeup lesson for a pair of beautiful ladies.  In case you've been wondering what the hey-ho I've been doing, let me just give you a taste (don't be jealous):

Meeting my new GORGEOUS Nephew Hugo.  I adore him and his chubby cheeks.

Going to game 5 of the Canucks vs Nashville playoffs with
some of my best friends in the whole wide world

Liz and I got in the hockey spirit and sported some SUPER awesome false lashes.  
All the guys loved them (more so than the ladies?).  Obvs.

In the BOX seating at the hockey game!!!  So awesome, with the most delicious
food and a waiter to fetch us our every desire.  SOOOO awesome.

Witness the boys making asses of themselves doing shots off a hockey stick.
There was a Jagermeister incident

Playing with Dugg the dog!!!  We brought him up to Canada with us, as he HATES
the heat in Houston, and it's only May!!!  So, he's going to be living with Grandma
and Grandpa this summer.  Oh man he loves it up here!!! 

Also on this list of my dream few days?  Going makeup shopping with my girls...  I bought pretty much the coolest limited edition Bobbi Brown Bronzer from the Almost Bare Collection.  I got the Rich Cocoa shade and it's perfection.  It goes on smooth and gives a natural bronzed look.  It's also Matte (which we know I love - I don't want to look dirty), and although slightly more pricey than your drugstore stuff, ($33) it's worth the coin.

I'm off to play makeup teacher!  

xo T

Royal Pooper

So I know it's been a few days since the royal wedding.  And I know I should have cared more, as someone that generally likes to be in-the-know about meaningless celebrity gossip, but I didn't.  The only thing I actually cared about was the dress, makeup and hair.

The dress was good; Grace Kelly-esk, and demure.

The hair was average; Half up, curled, yawn.  The tiara made is cooler.  Diamonds make everything cooler though.

Makeup that SHE DID HERSELF????!  Ah-ver-age.  I'm sorry, I thought this is like the historic moment of the decade (the Brits would like to think so ;)), and she is allowed to do her own makeup for the wedding?  If it was good, then I would have given her major props, but well, it just wasn't.

She looks a lil' weird, but this is a good angle of the makeup.  The skin is fine.
A little too much blush, but it's the EYES that KILL ME!!  Never should people put an
eyeliner LINE on their lower lashes.  It should always be smudged, but preferably use a
shadow.  The inner rim of the eye is another story.  That can be done as a solid line
(it's the only thing you can do with the inner rim though...)

Another photo:  She's such a beautiful girl!  She has so much to work with.
She needed some contouring and highlighting.  A bride should always look glowing, never flat,
which is why the contouring is necessary. 

I will give her some credit.  Girl was composed, and played her part well.
I can't imagine the kind of pressure she have felt/feels, as the future Queen of England.  

So, Kate, call me.  Seriously, I could help you.  We would probably be friends, except I'm not as polite as you are, but that way I'm not competing with you - polite properness could be your thing, I'll be the mouthy Canadian.

She's gonna call.  I can tell.

xo T