Keeping Up Appearances

My passion for makeup is third only to shoes and handbags. I've been collecting makeup since before I can remember and that tube of hot pink lipstick in my bathroom drawer (circa 1992) will vouch for me. Before you judge me for having an unsanitary tube of twenty year old lipstick, know that I have researched the shelf lives of makeup products and abide closely by them. This lipstick is an exception as it originally was my grandmother's and it was my first tube of lipstick, the catalyst for my addiction.

You would think, knowing that, I would wear new makeup looks all the time and always have my appearance together in the facial region. Well, you would think that, but you would be wrong. Not only do I not try out new makeup looks frequently, but I'm not even sure when the last time I wore makeup was. I love makeup and I love to play with it. As far as my daily beauty regime though, it just doesn't make the cut. While I was never a, "I don't leave the house without makeup" kind-of-girl, and I have been known to go bare-faced to work a time or two, I used to take pride in my appearance. That's not to say I place appearance above all else; however in today's society you must admit it matters.

What's the point of this incoherent rambling? You want to know what gave me this inspiration?

Wendy's. Yes, I'm talking fast-food burgers and fries, Where's the beef?, You know when it's real, Wendy's. After one of my mom's monthly, three hour long doctor's appointment, we opted for a fast bite to eat. Before you judge me again, I only had a measly kid's hamburger and soda. It could have been a lot worse. Anyway, the drive-thru line was backed up for days, so I decided it would be quicker to run inside. I walked right up to the counter to place my order with the cashier, a girl in her late-teens.

Momentarily, I was taken aback. It wasn't because of her hostile demeanor; I expected that. It wasn't the red of her hair, which resembled cartoon Wendy from the sign. It was her appearance, in a good way. Her pale complexion, which enabled her to make that red hair work, was fresh and smooth. Her foundation was applied in a natural way with just a hint of color splashed on her cheeks. She was sporting minimal eyeshadow, but had opted for a cat-eye look with winged black liquid eyeliner. And for the cherry on top of the Frosty, she sported full, fluffy, false eyelashes.

My initial reaction was that it was a little over-done for working at Wendy's. There's nothing wrong with working at fast-food joints; it's just unexpected to be served by Miss America. But then I thought, why not? Maybe we all need to take a cue from little Miss Wendy's. Just because we aren't out doing exactly what we'd love to be doing, doesn't mean we can't make the best of the situation. It doesn't mean we shouldn't present ourselves in the best way we know how. Shouldn't we always be putting our best foot forward?

Image courtesy of ahmet guler.

Lazy Is Such An Ugly Word

I do not like the word lazy. I feel like lazy is such an ugly word; it is a four letter word after all. I really don't like the fact that lately, I could describe myself as lazy. Recently, it seems that nothing motivates me enough to get anything done or things are just too overwhelming to even begin.

My intentions are always good. The problem may be that my ideas are just too big. I don't know where to begin. Writing has always been a release for me, so I decided to try my hand at really writing, like novel writing. From short stories, to even shorter blog posts, I'm obviously going in the wrong direction. Maybe novel writing is biting off more than I can chew at this point, especially with my newly found lazy demeanor. On the other hand, maybe it's the perfect thing to make me wake up and smell the coffee.

Considering I can barely get off the couch long enough to do the dishes some days, I doubt a novel will start magically flowing from my fingers. Realizing this, lazy strikes again and I don't even know where to begin. Instead, my attention turns to the TV and I find myself in the same spot on the couch for hours, sometimes unblinking.

I can roughly pinpoint when I caught lazy. Shortly after I quit my job and re-located to be with my then-fiance, I found myself getting less and less done. Also, I was sleeping a ton! It didn't take long to make our apartment cozy and homey so I quickly ran out of things to do. While I was job searching in the beginning, it was only a half-hearted attempt. It wasn't long until I was on a full-fledged mission to find a job though. Any job would do just to inject some structure into my life.

I began working a part-time retail job which wasn't so great, but I enjoyed actually having to be somewhere a few times a week. When I wasn't working, I knew that I had to use my time off wisely to get things done. Lazy was fading fast. Not to toot my own horn, but I would say I have an outstanding work ethic. My employers noticed this too, and eventually I was working four or five days a week. While I enjoyed the extra income and store discount, it didn't make up for the erratic schedule and, at times, hostile work environment. Lazy began flaring up again.

With the hours I was working, I again lacked structure and though I spent lots of time working, I spent little time getting anything else done. That's when my mom's accident and cancer diagnosis came in.

I was no longer working and spending almost every waking second with her. At that point, I wasn't getting anything done, but I was just focused on being with my mom. Eventually, things progressed with my mom's health and I began to regain a sense of normalcy in my life.

Currently, my life still lacks structure though and I think that's a huge culprit of the lazy. Tuesday through Thursday I stay with my with mom, and spend most of my time taking her to appointments and running errands. Friday, I make the two and a half hour drive back home to be with my new husband. I stay there through Monday until it's time to make the long drive back to be with my mom again. I'm so exhausted by the time I get to either place, it's like pulling teeth trying to get myself to do simple household chores. Whether it's cooking, cleaning, or grocery shopping, it all seems as daunting as writing that novel.

So I have to ask; what motivates you? What do you do when you're feeling overwhelmed? Where do I begin?

What happens now that TheShoppingGirl can count everything she shopped for in the last two months on one hand? *Gasp*

Thank you to nuttakit for the provided image.

No, This Isn't My New Year's Resolution

I'm guessing the blogosphere is abuzz right about now. I'm sure millions of new bloggers joined the scene and a million more bloggers (like myself) who fell off the blog-wagon are jumping back on thanks to the New Year and its pesky resolutions.

Well, blogging isn't my New Year's Resolution. This is because New Year's Resolutions are a like promise just waiting to be broken. It is estimated that only 12% of people actually achieve their resolutions each year. I don't like those odds.

Years ago I proclaimed that I will no longer be making New Year's Resolutions because making them is almost the same as saying "I will not accomplish this goal." I haven't made a New Year's Resolution since. *I would like to make clear that it was not a New Year's Resolution to no longer make New Year's Resolutions, just a pure statement. Otherwise, you may try to claim irony in that, that was the one New Year's Resolution I actually kept.*

I'm back to blogging just for pure self-fulfilment. I've tried my hand at it twice before and never got into a rythmn. Here's to the old "third time's a charm" credo!

If any blogger out there (old or new) has any helpful tips on obtaining a blogging rythmn, please do share.