Pony here, pony there, I wear ponytails everywhere!

I LOVE ponytails- done right they look great at the gym full of spunk and energy, they look great at work low and loose and they look great out with a "fancier" outfit made from loose waves paired with the perfect accessories.
The ponytail has totally evolved from the days of NO bumps and scrunchies to a now more sophisticated look that can be worn literally everywhere.
I often hear people say, "I don't wear ponytails because I just cannot do them." What? Yes you can! I really do love ponytails. Yes, they are great for the days you skip out on washing your locks, but they are also ideal in freshly cleaned and curled hair, equaling a ton of volume and a fresh feel. My ponytails look best on the days I have just blown out my hair, add just a little wave with my 1.5" iron, a little bit of back combing in the back then put up in my handy elastic and... voila! Off to work, dinner or a night out with my fab pony!
Long ponytails are gorgeous but I love short ones too!

I love the loose waves framing the face on the pony below... this can totally be a dressy pony, or look perfect with a pair of jeans too.















All of the hair pulled back and volume looks fresh and sleek.
Bangs are thee pony's perfect accessory... it helps the look to be "done." Blunt and straight across the forehead or long and side-swept... they look fab. Wrap a small section of your pony around the elastic and secure with a bobby pin or two to cover the elastic and finish your pony off nicely.

Loosely pulled back with a ton of bouncy curls... great for a more formal event, or not!














I love where this pony sits... it is kind of cheerleader ish, and it's great. It is just so spunky!

Here is to a season of ponytails!!!

You can call me Betty, Betty Crocker

It seems as though I am always getting a hard time from my family and Mikey... soooo surprised that I am all of the sudden a super good cook. I mean, I never really tried before. Why would I? My Mom makes like, thee best food ever! And this explains why I have a natural knack in the kitchen. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but toot toot biatch.

So, like many stories I tell on here, it began with my Mom... apparently a lot of people think that their Mom is the best cook, but mine really is, no really. I was the little kid who could not eat over at people's houses because "that's not how my Mom's tastes," and I made my Dad's girlfriends mad, "that's not how my Mom does it." So many people cook their food bland, lacking serious flavor- gross! There are certain things I will not even order out because my Mom can totally do it better. If you are willing to challenge this, just try my Mom's spaghetti, chili verde or sugar cookies to name a few simple delights. Who else rocks in the kitchen? My Grandma. So, obviously it is in my blood to be a total Betty Crocker. I am not even sure if Betty is accurate, I can't really bake, but I can cook. Maybe Rachel Ray or even Martha Stewart is more on-target because I am a hell of a crafter now too!

We do a lot of simple dinners in our home. We are both off around the same time, 6 p.m., and by the time we get home it is late and we are starving. So much for the important diet tip of "not eating after six." We love anything Mexican 'ish, probably because it is a heritage kind of thing, LOL. We do lots of tacos, fajitas, beans, salsa, etc. My new favorite, "Machel's Mexican Casserole." I learned of this idea from a girl I work with, Lauren*. I put my own little spin on things and this is how we do it...

Arrrriiibbbaaaaa:

those uncooked tortillas from Costco (one of the best things that has ever happened to me)

beans (choose from refried, black or pinto; we love them all)

shredded cheese

frozen corn (I warm in pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and of course Tapatio)

cilantro

salsa

and top with avocado

I cube chicken and put it in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil, fresh garlic and onion with lots of taco seasoning and OF course red pepper flakes (red pepper flakes rock my world)

I make a little casserole layering all of these yummy items

That is my first tasty share... super easy and fast and seriously delicious!

Obsessed with: Make-Up ... Just the Beginning

It all began in 1990 with Hello Kitty cosmetics. They do not even make the kind they used to carry any more. I remember... Hello Kitty store in Fashion Place Mall (I believe). They had a small make-up counter on one wall in the store with an array of eye shadows, blushes, lip sticks and of course complementing nail polishes. Between my obsession with this line, routinely visiting the Lancome counter with my Mom and my Grandma letting me play in ALL of her make-up, I developed a passion for make-up. Owning it, playing with it, organizing it, applying it on other people and on myself.

I do NOT go all out all of the time. I am almost always in a hurry to get to wherever I am going, limiting the time I have to apply make-up. Do not let this lack of week day full make-up fool you. I of course have my essential products I use each and every day, but I also have the products I LOVE but cannot use everyone due to time constraints.

Keep in mind, I have not even purchased any make-up for like, seven months! I used to buy a new shadow, lip stick and so forth at least ONCE a week. You can see why it was critical for me to leave the retail industry...

Here is my (quick) everyday routine (Just the Beginning):

PREP: I start the morning with my white tea moisturizer that I have previously wrote about (one of my all-time fave products). I use it in the AM and PM.

FYI: Now, after chatting with girlfriends and such, I realize I use way more make-up on my simple days than most girls would consider simple. I am always cautious about NEVER having make-up face though! Usage tip: use all "facial" products (concealer, foundation, etc.) sparingly, especially if your skin is a bit dryer.

FACE: I first apply concealer; I switch off between Clinique's All About Eyes and Lancomes' Effacernes. If I am going out or if I am expecting to have a super-long day, I opt for Lancome- it's waterproof and lasts all day. Next I use one pump of MAC's Mineral Satin Finish Foundation (light coverage but it really evens out my skin tone and gives a nice finish), MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish Powder (I am sure to pat this under my eyes too to help prevent eyeliner and mascara messes), MAC's bronzer in Golden and of course a blush- usually Cubic, Prism or Pink Swoon.

Depending on the day I play my eyes up more... weekdays I usually stick to MY basics...

EYES: MAC's paint pot in Painterly (always prevents creasing and is fabulous when you are going for a darker eye and want to really pack color on), MAC's All That Glitters (I use this main color all-over my eye with nearly every look), Satin Taupe (perfect for a natural eye or you can really play it up and create a more smokey look) and Orb (the perfect matte blending color with the right shade of peach to avoid a "white out" eye). I top this simple look off with a thin line of MAC's Fluid Line in Blitz and Glitz (black) and if I want to take another 25 seconds, I go over that line with MAC's Typographic eyeshadow. Finally I lightly fill in my brows with Handwritten and put a coat of ANY mascara on my top lashes. (Mascara is the one item I will not run and grab a $30 tube of every 4 weeks)!

WHEW... good morning sunshine! These are my favorite every day products and colors... more fave products, colors and brushes to come soon!