Out of Office

This is my official 'out of office' automated reply...

I'm in Montreal for meetings.
When I have a spare minute to breathe...I won't be blogging, I'll be breathing.
See you next week blogettes.

Stay pretty. :)

MM: The Want List

First off: I know I bailed on Skincare Saturday - my apologies. I'd give you an excuse, but I don't have one.
Would it make you feel better to know that last night for the first time in about two years I slept with my makeup on? I know, I'm ashamed and all day I could hear my pores struggling for air. I tried to compensate with a quick mud pack masque but there was no justice served. Tomorrow night - painful facemask with 100% cider vinegar, no excuses.

Today for MM I thought I'd switch it up; instead of telling you what I own and how I use it, I'm going to go over a couple of my latest cosmetic lemmings. I always have at least a couple items on the brain, only after thorough research do they go on my official want list ... here are the lucky one's for March.

1. Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Blush: On a scale of 1 to 10, the purchase priority for one of these babies is around a twelve with the only reason as to why I don't own at least one, is because I haven't been able to find them in Canada yet. f*ck. I love cream blush - not only does it have better staying power, but the colour payoff always tends to be a little more natural. Similar to NARS, MUFE has gone the semi-dirty route to naming their shades - my current list includes Nip Slip, One Too Many, In The Spotlight, Starstruck, and PDA.

2. Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil: By far, my favourite eyeliner - I own this in Surat and Laos and both are beautiful. These pencils are thick, creamy, smudge beautifully, and last all day - isn't that all a girl could ask for? Sick. I've decided that Chiang-Mia will be the next colour to add to my collection - a soft charcoal/black that would work both with a smokey eye and a neutral everyday look when smudged into my lashline.

3. MAC Viva Glam GaGa Lipstick: Every year MAC comes out with a new celebrity-inspired shade of lipstick, always under the Viva Glam name - with all proceeds going to the MAC AIDS fund. Cyndi Lauper and Lady GaGa are the latest inspirations for colour and the GaGa shade is to die for. While Cyndi's coral shade is beautiful, the GaGa shade is the most gorgeous cool-toned pink I've ever seen. I could see this working on all skin tones as it can be layered for intensity. I've gone to MAC twice for this and both times it's been sold out. Third time's a charm?

4. Benefit Cosmetics Confessions of a Concealaholic: this is one of the few items on my list that I don't want to want. I'm always on the fence with Benefit products (except their Definer Liner, clear lip liner for any shade of lipstick or gloss, no feathering or fading...WIN). The benefit of this puppy is in it's convenience. You'd be surprised to know that I dont' normally carry any makeup around with me - it'd take too much time packing and repacking a travel makeup bag to fit whatever look I'm going for, so I skip it all together. These days, however, I'm finding I'm looking tired and strained and carrying a concealer would be a good idea. Knowing I use multiple types of concealer makes it a pain in the a** to pack them all, so I figured this kit is a great way to have a variety of quick fixes readily available without having to transfer it from purse to bathroom and vice versa.

5. Giorgio Armani Nude Contrasts Palette for Eyes:  So, so, so pretty. I've had a couple GA eyeshadows and they wear quite well, good payoff and never OTT. Only thing holding me back is my distaste for purchasing eyeshadows. I'm not a huge shadow fan and I prefer to add dimension to my eyes with liner or mascara, so adding more shadows to my collection isn't too appealing to me right now... why did I even include this? Backspace.

Sadly this list could go on forever, and after reviewing 2454 beauty photos from various Fall/Winter 2010 Fashion Week shows - my list has quadrupled, along with my list of dermatologic procedures. Hottest trends on the runway? Flawless skin, strong brows, precise liner, and coral lips. I do recall mentioning the importance of good brows very recently - and you thought I pulled all this sh*t out of my a**.

Love you all,

xxLM

The W.

Sales meetings usually fall mid week or take up an entire five day work week, ensuring a weekend to decompress soon after getting home. I had a sales meeting Monday and Tuesday of this week; needless to say, I'm turned around and believing the weekend is a lot closer than it really is. I have selected meetings next week and then in Montreal for a full week after that - why don't adults get March Break?

If you enjoy my Wednesday ramblers, consider yourself lucky I even remembered about it this week.
And next.
And the one after that.

The Photo

The Scene... a generally unremarkable day, blah weather and not too much noise coming from the street. The day has been a lot more productive than I thought it would be; I'm emotionally and physically lazy but managed to ace an exam, organize all of my appointments, schedule team meetings, start my prework for Montreal, and get my car in to be fixed. None of this has done anything for my physical laziness, but that's what 7:30pm ballet boot camp is for.

The Song... is Aha! by Imogen Heap. I couldn't decide between this one and Sleep, but Aha! is newer and pretty different from her usual stuff.

The Advice... "sometimes you have to let go of who you were, in order to become who you want to be" - Carrie Bradshaw

The Entertainment ... has plummeted since the Olympics are over. I miss the Olympics and not only the outpouring of Canadian spirit, but the strong sense of unity that fell over our Country for those two weeks. I hope spring comes soon, because the next burst of excitement in the Toronto air will come as a result of patio season. Toronto has three seasons: patio-with-jacket-and-heater season, patio season, and Winter.

The Inappropriate...way to compliment someone is undoubtedly the backhanded version. I hate backhanded compliments and generally see right through them. I understand that a lot of the time people aren't aware of what they are implying, but I know a few people who are very aware of the underlying meaning in their comments. Not sure what constitutes a backhanded compliment? Take my all-time favourite [and no offense to the individual who said this to me] - I was told one day that I should be a model [right] and my response was a very blunt "I'm not pretty enough to be a model." The response to the response? "Oh no, models these days are really ugly."

The Obsession... this week is comfort. Ever go through a period where all of your work or going out clothes seem so uncomfortable? Nothing seems to fit right, materials seem itchy, and you have a general feeling of insecurity in the clothes that once made you feel great. I've felt like this for at least a week and have not taken any enjoyment [for once] in getting ready to go to work or go out. This feeling differs from the "I have nothing to wear" feeling, and leans more toward "did it always fit like this?" Needless to say, my love affair with my sweats and dance clothes has taken over. Have plans with me this week? Hope you like Uggs.

The Frustration...is trying to narrow down my frustrations to write this paragraph. I've written, backspaced, written, backspaced, written, and backspaced this paragraph over the past twenty minutes, with each paragraph being written about a different topic. Just like the religion post last week, there is a tough balance between wanting to share your thoughts honestly, and wanting to preserve everyone's feelings. The only thing I can say about this weeks frustration is that I'm frustrated :)

The Shoutout... is to a fellow Disneylander and her sister who I've had the pleasure of seeing over the past week, and will have the pleasure of annoying for five whole days very soon. You two are so pretty, so funny, and so smart - I would have never enjoyed a meeting, let alone my job, as much as I do without you both. I hope you rest up for the next couple weeks, you never know if they'll make you put your face down there.

 Enjoy your evenings,

xxLM

PS - to all you ladies, check TryThis.BuyThat very soon for a very personal review of my new obsession. Dad, that one aint for you.

On Religion...

Disclaimer: these views are strictly my own and have nothing to do with that of my family, my friends, or my upbringing.


I am extremely uncomfortable in churches. I feel very out of place and very visible, as if everyone there knows I'm not a "regular" and is silently judging me. I grew up going to church every Sunday with my family, but I always had to leave halfway through to go to gym practice, so eventually we just stopped going. Now, my time spent in churches is either for weddings or funerals, and even at those times I find it hard to listen to the service without feeling a mixture of curiosity, frustration, and insecurity.


I'm not sure if I believe there is a higher power, but I believe strongly that I live my life for me, and according to my own rules. That being said, I respect all of you that live your life for God, and attribute all of the things in your life to His workings; however, for me, that is too far fetched. 


As I've grown up I've learned to take responsibility for my actions and mistakes, and I've been proud of the things that I have in my life, because I accomplished them myself and with the help of my family and friends. I do not believe that God has a specific plan for my life, because I believe that if I want something, I have to work to get it; I can't just sit around and wait for a higher power to put a career, a family, or flawless skin into my lap.


For me to live my life according to something or someone else, I have to believe that it is 100% genuine, realistic, and accurate; furthermore, to live my life according to a Bible of some sort, there would have to be only one, and it wouldn't be subject to interpretation. How can one live their life according to words written way before our time, or a book that has so many versions that even Apple has trouble keeping up. 


I cannot pinpoint the be-all-end-all reason as to why I live my life in the "absence" of religion, but part of it has to do with the fact that I find it to be completely subjective. When I was in gymnastics, before each meet we would pray [which, for the record, I think is somewhat inappropriate considering not everyone is of the same beliefs]. At the end of the meet, if we won, it was all due to God; however, if we lost, it was our fault. According to me, if you're going to believe that a higher power is to credit for all the good in your life, then the higher power should also be credited for all of the disappointments in your life, it cannot be one or the other. If we won because of a higher power, then all of those times we lost would also be due to that higher power - maybe He didn't like us that day, or maybe the other team prayed harder, there is always a maybe. If we lost because we fell, then all those times we won would be because we performed well. Or was there no faith that we could perform well without a higher power? 


My brother was born without a left ventricle, which is a crucial part of the heart. Multiple surgeries and ten years later [on Christmas day], he had a stroke. He had a pacemaker put in and struggled to regain movement on the ride side of his body. Seven years later, he passed. He was seventeen. Did God sit and lay out this plan for him, attacking his body time and time again, letting him take one step forward and then pulling him ten steps back? How about the people that do everything "right" - they go to church, they pray, they believe, yet at the same time they have affairs, they lie, and they are not always kind to others. If I believed that everything was due to a higher power, I would have to believe that this power created rapists and murderers, animal abusers and con artists; furthermore, the excuse of a higher power forcing these people to do these things would stand up in court, and everyone would walk free.


This is a tricky subject and I'm sure this will upset some of you, but everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and this blog is meant to share mine with you. In my world, I believe that we make our own choices; some end in success and some end in failure, but at the end of the day the only person we have to be able to live with is ourselves, because we cannot misinterpret our own words. 


Although it seems otherwise, I do have faith and I do believe: I believe in my family and friends and I believe in myself. I have faith that I will continue to grow as a person and learn from others, and I believe that I will conquer my hyperpigmentation from too many years of tanning. The reason I have faith and I believe, is because I'm going to make it happen [well Hyaluronic acid is going to make the latter happen, but I'm the one carefully applying it].




What you believe in, what gives you faith and enables you to take comfort in the situations you are put in is entirely up to you, as long as you believe in yourself.

The It List for Wednesday

Of all the things I write, the intro to these Wednesday posts always has me stumped and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I'm impatient and want to get to the goods, or I find I always have something negative to say about the current Wednesday [but not on April 13th, the long-awaited return of Glee!]. So this Wednesdays intro will include something positive, like the fact that I've completed one huge study binder, or that I'm going to try an at-home multi-acid microdermabrasion on my face tonight. Let's hope the latter doesn't turn into a negative Thursday intro.



The Photo: 

The Scene... is the same as it's been for three days now: sitting in my favourite green chair, binder in lap, reprints on the table just waiting to be read, highlighted and memorized by Monday. You can bet your a** they will be too.

The Song ... is Rise by Azure Ray, it's old yes, but if you like Imogen Heap, check out some of her stuff.

The Advice... is that a dance floor is unforgiving. See exhibit A above.

The Entertainment ... hands down, was Sunday night's hockey game. I couldn't breathe after the US tied it with 20 seconds to go. Myself and my BFF were drinking white wine at the time, and decided that maybe we should open a bottle of red wine and have a glass of that too, just to keep everything red and white. Ten minutes later, Canada wins. Coincidence? Think not. Drinking always pays off.

The Inappropriate... way to work out at the gym. This section could take three whole blog posts to complete so I'll keep it short - talking on your cell phone at any point during your work out is ridiculous. I don't get it, if you're going to the gym to walk on a treadmill, socialize, and talk on your cellphone - why are you paying $100/month when you could just as easily bother people walking down the street. I'm going to blame all of you people that do this on why I don't go to the gym anymore, well you guys and those of you who look like you've been attacked by the sleeve monster and need to rehydrate with a 2L jug of water. Ick.

The Obsession...of the week is how much better I feel since I've drastically cut down on eating meat [haha, i'm giggling]. For a good couple of weeks now I have basically been eating only fruit, vegetables, candy, and whole grains and it's been excellent. I don't really know how to say this any other way than to state that I have no problem eating animals, and I really like the taste of meat [giggles]; however, I think I'm going to test out this vegetarian thing that so many of you have going on. Unless I can't eat fish,  because I can't live without fish and chips, you all know that. Does fish count as meat? If you are a vegetarian which I know at least one of you is, please fill me in. Merci

The Frustration...is figuring out how to write a blog on my view of religion without offending any of you. Religion is such an interesting topic to me and as with most things, I'm sure I see things much differently than some of the people who read this blog; however, I find that when people disagree on the topic of religion, they tend to take it personally and I'd really like to avoid that. I'm going to post it tomorrow, and we'll see how many facebook friends I lose by Friday.

The Shoutout...is to a nice little lady who is always there for me no matter what, who started exfoliating and washing her makeup off on a daily basis, and is enjoying the world of matte nails with me. I have no idea where I'd be without you and am so grateful to have you in my life. I'd call you and tell you this, but you know I hate voicemail, so this is me leaving you "a really good message."

So there you go, with the Olympics now over I can focus all my attention on Shemar Moore, and may even have time to pick up some tattoo concealer for my knees; the last thing I need is to give all of my favourite guys and dolls that I work with the reason to ask me why I've been spending so much time on my knees.

You guys are sick.

xxLM

Wed.Nes.Day

Holy sh*t it's Wednesday already?
This week is speeding by, where have I been?


The Photo

The Scene... it's gloomy here and my condo is cold. My condo also seems messy, which it isn't, it never is. Maybe I've been watching too much hoarders?


The Song...the K.D Lang version of Hallelujah, way better than JTs.


The Advice...wash your face with cold water, it closes your pores and refreshes your skin


The Entertainment... this week was definitely devil-kitty. Devil kitty enjoys hiding behind walls and lashing out at you while you pass by, or running so fast up and down the hall causing my condo to sound like the Kentucky derby.


The Inappropriate...way to get attention, and that's through your Facebook status. Vaguebooking drives me crazy. Not sure what vaguebooking is? Vaguebooking involves a status update somewhere along the lines of "Laura wishes it was easier" or "Laura knew it was bad news" and so on, the status update that doesn't quite tell all, but warrants a "what's wrong?" or another pity comment. I get that we all have personal drama, but if you are looking to your 1,997 Facebook friends to lift you up, you're looking in the wrong place. This may be cold, but I don't log on to facebook to make sure you had a good day or to see if you're back in that relationship that you weren't in yesterday but were in the day before. I log on to facebook to stalk you.


The Obsession...is coconut oil. Coconut oil isn't only for cooking, it's amazing for your skin and your hair. I've been putting coconut oil in my hair the night before I plan to wash it (maybe once every 3 days) and I practice my french braiding skills. Leave it in overnight, shower in the morning as usual and when I blowdry my hair I'm left with super soft, super shiny hair - apparently coconut oil is one of the few oils that actually penetrates deep into the shaft [wait what?] of the hair [oh, ok] instead of sitting on top like other oil treatments. I've also been using it as an eye makeup remover (awesome) and on my skin where I have any little irritated patches. I've used it just after I shower all over my body as a moisturizer and my skin glows all day - it's honestly amazing. This is such a great alternative to expensive hairmasks and it works better IMO. You can buy coconut oil at health food stores - you want to look for organic virgin coconut oil, and it comes in solid form. Coconut oil melts very easily at around 24-26 degrees, so taking a small chunk and rubbing it in between your hands creates a nice silky formula that glides on to your skin or your hair, never leaving a greasy residue, or causing you to smell like a pina colada.


The Frustration...is with my coordination. One of the things I wanted to do this year was take dance lessons and I believe it was listed as my obsession a couple Wednesdays ago. I've always, always loved contemporary dance and am now in love with the classes I take. Problem is, 18 years of gymnastics is doing me a disservice. You should see the girls float across the room so delicately, their jumps so pretty - and then there's yours truly, coming down the diagonal like a horse [Kentucky derby]. Gymnastics is very different from dance, besides the fact that I can only do the moves on my right leg [these girls look perfect no matter what leg they leap off of], but I am so heavy on my feet that graceful is the last word you'd use to describe me. I can do the moves, but I can do the gymnastics version of them and it's not so pretty. I'm a coordinated person, but I can't believe how challenging it is for me to adapt my body not only to a hardwood floor, but to a softer, longer, more delicate individual. I don't want to do it my own way just to do it, I want to look like a dancer, not a gymnast [which I've gotten many times]. PS, I also have horrible turnout. Contemporary dance FAIL.


The Shoutout...is to a beautiful young lady moving out west tomorrow, to start a new chapter of life with a wonderful man and a much larger cell phone bill. You will be missed!!


Well, that is it, that is all - c'est finit.

xxLM

To Do [it] or Not To Do [it]?

I wrote a guest post a while ago for Mommy Brain [surprised? read on] and with what seems like a million preggo girls out there, it seemed fitting for today. Enjoy. Xx

When I first started my job we had to attend training sessions in Montreal. This was my first big girl job and I tend to be quiet and shy around people I don't know - I try to feel them out to see if my sense of humor will be understood, otherwise I will keep my thoughts to myself. I was lucky enough to meet a very beautiful, intelligent, and motivated young girl that was just as sarcastic as I was - my first words to her were "do you speak English?" and her response: "Oh God Yes, Finally!" WIN.

Needless to say, three years later we are still friends. Even living across the country, we kept in touch: we both got married around the same time, both felt the same way about our jobs, and both wanted to take the plunge and go blonde. Even though she is no longer working for the same company, we still stalk each others facebook profiles on a regular basis. The only difference? My page is still littered with funny pictures, makeup status updates, and politically incorrect videos. Her page is decorated with pictures of her beautiful, adorable, pinch-her-cheeks cute baby girl. Suddenly, I feel ashamed of my videos and my status updates proclaiming my love for NARS Gipsy lipstick [cool toned gals looking to try out a red lip?... this shade is money]. Why I feel this way I'm not sure. Minus the bigger boobs, this girl is still the same beautiful, intelligent, and very funny girl I met three years ago. I read her blog daily, not just because I love her, but because I am still in limbo with myself over the decision of whether or not I want kids someday. Half the time I read her blog and decide yes, absolutely. The other half, I have to log off due to impeding panic attacks. FAIL

Do I want kids? Can I raise a child?

There is no rush for me obviously, but I feel that I'm at the age where I should at least know the answer to this question. The only thing I know, besides the fact that babysitting terrifies me, is that I am 100% undecided. I love babies. I love to hold them, play with them, and dress them in cute fuzzy sleepers. I like to watch them sleep, watch them bite their fingers, and watch the bond with their mother develop. When I see a baby crying for mom, I want that. I think I could do a fantastic job with a baby [I know, easier said that done, I've read the blogs remember?], I also think that I am responsible and mature enough to have a baby. A baby seems exciting to me, and every time I am around a baby, I want one. Where the decision takes a turn is after baby.

Babies turn in to children.

Children become teenagers.

Teenagers become... me.

This may seem crazy, but I continually have to remind myself that babies last forever. They don't go away, and I can't swap them for the MAC Hue lipstick I am currently coveting. Knowing that eventually this baby will be one of the high school kids with a facebook page full of high school drama is very hard for me to get over. I do not want a teenager. That may be harsh, but it's the truth.

Like I mentioned earlier, I read Mommy Brain every day and frankly, it seems like a lot of fun. Even though there are panic moments [first night in the crib, loved it] and general frustrations with feeding and sleeping, all of those seem to fade away as soon as the baby smiles. I laugh at the mommy brain mondays and I get nervous when I hear about crib recalls, but underneath all those emotions, I can't shake the thought that this would never be me. I simply can't picture myself as a mom. Is it that high school kids annoy me, or is it because I am missing the mom gene?

To all you moms - could you picture yourself with a child (not baby) before you got pregnant?

I have been wanting to write about this for a while, but I was hesitant because I don't want to offend anyone. The last thing I want is to have someone calling Child Services when they find out I am pregnant some day. I know that I am not ready for a baby. I know that I do not want a baby today, tomorrow, or this year. But I also know that when I am older, I want to have what my parents and I have. I want to have the relationship that my mother and I have [ps, we bought more tea today, thanks Steve]. I want to have family vacations and holidays spent playing euchre, chase the ace, and rumoli - losing big money and laughing so hard we cry. I want to be able to drink with my kids [Child Services] and learn from them. I also hope my daughter dresses me, makes sure I never buy mom jeans, and picks out a nice nursing home for me when its time. So I guess I do want kids someday. Or to have a baby, give it away when it's time for school, and have it come back with a career and a bottle of McManis. Wait, is that what boarding school is?

Again, I stress that I know I am not ready for a baby. The only thing I know, is that I was lucky that my parents were ready. I am lucky that I had parents who gave me the childhood that I had [minus the haircuts, shame on you], and I am so lucky that my parents taught me to be respectful, kind, and humble. I still think that I would be great with a baby, but my skills would stop there. I don't know if I will ever be ready to influence a life and shape a child into a responsible adult, so to all you moms out there, congratulations, you are amazing. And to the creater of Mommy Brain, you are amazing, intelligent, pretty and funny, and I miss you very much.

Oh Wednesday...

It's mid week of a short week, does that make it technically not a Wednesday?
I've got Olympic fever and it's distracting my ability to watch Criminal Minds and drool over Shamar Moore, who, as I just found out met my one of my beautiful friends. In person. Told her she had beautiful eyes. Quiver.

It's Wednesday and you love me don't you?
You'd want me to be happy wouldn't you?
Well, for the next two weeks at the end of each blog, one click from you can make me very happy.
I'd like to be the W networks Beauty & Style expert, and you can help by not only giving me a nice little 5-star rating [I'd do it for you] but clicking on the link each time you read my blog, or as often as you want to [I'd do it for you] because this girl is greedy, and not only wants a perfect 5 star rating, but to have the most viewed video as well. I'm going to need it too, because of all people, my mother rated me a 2.

The Photo
[courtesy of Style.com]

The Scene ...it's cold and grey outside, I'm about to put coconut oil in my hair, Olympics on TV and Fall/Winter 2010 RTW Fashion Week pictures on the computer screen. Badgley Mischka dress above? Quiver.

The Song ...is that "I Believe" Olympic song. I hate it.

The Advice ...love your treadmill? Instead of running at the same speed for a period of time, mix it up with a couple minutes of uphill walking, sprinting, and jogging - alternating will help keep your muscles sharp, and will help you burn more calories

The Entertainment ...is absolutely the Olympics. I love Olympic time because at any time on any channel, there's something to watch - and with this Olympics, there's always some wild wipeouts to cringe to as well.

The Inappropriate ...eye contact, or lack of it I should say. I'm a firm believer in keeping eye contact with someone when you are talking. It drives me crazy to watch someone in a conversation who is looking at the floor, the table, or their hands while talking. It's okay to let your eyes wander within the general movement of a conversation, but 95% of the time your eyes should be on the person [or people] you're talking to.

The Obsession ...this week is with mixed berry yogurt topped with All Bran. I'm not a huge fan of breakfast but this I can handle, and I love it. I find myself looking forward to it every morning - lame, I know.

The Frustration ... is with not having a Target in Canada. When I'm writing my MM posts on Try This.Buy That, a lot of the great finds are from Target brands and us Canadians are truly shafted. I miss walking the aisle's of Target for hours, so excited about those quality finds that Wal-Mart just can't produce here. Never been to a Target? Shame on you.

The Shoutout .. goes to my dad this week. For those of you who don't know my dad [shame on you], he's pretty amazing and has landed yet another sweet gig to add to his repertoire. If I could grow up with half the brains, a quarter of the motivation, a third of the patience, and an eighth of the grey hair that he has, I'd be a happy girl. xx


Hey! It's the end of the blog, and you know what that means.
Shameless self-promotion time!

http://experts.wnetwork.com/Entries/Details.aspx?ID=314&Search=LDMsLDE=

I thank you in advance for making this your homepage, and continuing to rate me whenever you can :) Unless you're going to be like my mom, and rate me a 2, then please continue on with whatever website you're browsing.

xxLM

A Valentine's Emergency

Happy Valentines Day!


I'm not sure how I feel about Valentine's day, I can't say I've ever been a huge fan nor seen it as a big deal, but I appreciate that to a lot of people, this is a big day, so I wish you all well.


Remember the days back in public school, when you were required to bring cards for the whole class? The kids with the cool mom's brought cards with chocolates taped to them; all we had to do was sign our names and everything was gravy. Why can't it be that way now? Now, we are all on the search for the perfect Valentines card that says all we want to say in pretty fonts with just enough glitter, and just enough room to add in a sentence or two of your own. 


For me, I'm having trouble finding a card that says all I want it to say. 


Where are the cards that say "I'm so proud of you" and then go on to mention hours of work on personal time, meetings on Friday nights till seven, and managing the frustration of building a business. The card would also mention the appreciation of working now to enjoy later, because that is a very admirable quality.


In what aisle are the real life cards? The card's that balance out the years of bliss with a simple "I know it's hard sometimes, but I can't picture my life without you." Relationships can't be described in a few paragraphs, let alone a few paragraphs that make it sound as if everyday is an all expenses paid trip to the Bahamas. I'd like to find an honest card, a card that says all of that mushy stuff, and is capped off with "...but today I find you annoying."


What bothers me the most, are cards with the phrase "I love everything about you." Is this true? Am I the only one who feels that this is a heavy statement? My ideal version of this card would read somewhere along the lines of "even though you forget to put soap in the cat's dish, I love you for feeding him every morning." Or how about "I love your smile, but could you please stop eating my candy and not replacing it?" 


I like the cards that come with little coupons, little promises to do things when the coupon is given. From my knowledge these are available in all ranges of favours from taking out the garbage to something with "that thing" - but I've never found one with real promises. Why are these favours done only in exchange of a coupon? Why not have cards in which you promise something that can benefit both of you [and not involve that thing]. If I could make my own, mine would say "I promise to smile more often" and "I promise to take the time to correctly open packages." If I ever found a card that said "I promise to include you in my plans more often" or "I'll do my best to rinse out my tea leaves right away" I'd buy them in a minute.


Lastly, why isn't there a card that can bring everything into perspective in one sentence, with no glitter and no fancy writing. A card that reminds you of your past promises that still hold true today. A card reading "I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple and when it is an effort."


I have looked at cards for weeks and none have said any of the above. 
It is officially Valentines day now, and therefore I am out of time. 
This will be my first Valentines day that I don't have a card to give and this year I really wanted to give a good card. 


I wanted to give a card that would make you stop and realize that at the end of the day, I'll always be there for you, I'm always on your side, and that you do make me happy. A card that includes not only parts of the above, but all of it - because I really do mean it, and I really will work on my promises. 


I don't think I'll ever find a card like this and that's too bad, because my words are important and I need to find a way to get them across. 


I guess I'll just have to get creative.

The Breakup

Dear All My Laundry,


It's not you, it's me. I need to be on my own to grow into what I know I can be. I need space. Space to flourish and to show the world that I am the best source for all things beauty. This will be good for you, you are now free to share your thoughts with the world, without being overshadowed by me. 


I hope you know I will always be here for you, and am only a click away.


With Love,


Try This.Buy That

Wednesday Mash.Up

It's Wednesday bloggettes and this b*tch had an exciting day.
Details to follow. Video to follow. Rates to follow? You betta.

The Photo

The Scene... 10:45 pm [cutting it close I know], skyping with my true love, in full runway makeup and hair. Ooh la la


The Song...Glitter in the Air by Pink - but the live Grammy version. Did you see that ribboned suit? Break me off a piece of that.


The Advice...Want an extra shine boost to your hair? After you rinse out your shampoo & conditioner, before getting out of the shower turn the water on cold and rinse your hair again. The cold water will seal the cuticle and increase shine. Bling Bling.


The Entertainment...tonight was via myself. No more can be said, link to follow.


The Inappropriate... way to cancel plans. High up on my list of "I hate when people do this.." things - I can't stand when I have plans with someone, and on the day of, they disappear. Don't answer calls, don't respond to texts, and never say anything until two days later when its "Oh I'm so sorry I was so busy." Riiight. If you don't want to hang out with me, tell me.


The Obsession.... this week goes to NARS Easy Lover lip gloss - the perfect clear glossy hot pink lip that I've been coveting is finally mine. WIN.


The Frustration... is my new found lazy eye in photo's. Have I always had this, or is my left eye suddenly slacking? Is it trying out a new semi-wink pose because it's always the "bad" eye [you know, the eye that your eyeshadow always seems worse on] - Either way, I need to submit a headshot for a few  things coming up and if this continues, I'm going to have to part my hair on the other side. Huge. Dilemma.I.Know


The Shoutout... to a west-coast beauty on her way somewhere very warm, to see someone very hot, and to enjoy some time together that has been very long coming. I'll watch extra Criminal Minds for you these next couple weeks. Safe travels Xx.


I hope you've all had a wonderful hump day, filled with lots of...


xxLM

'Tis Wednesday

"I believe that sex is a beautiful thing between two
people. Between five, it's fantastic" - Woody Allen

Happy hump day bloggettes.

The Photo:

The Scene: rushing around getting ready to leave while trying to decide between pants or a skirt for work today. The skirt looks better but the frigid cold air feels better on my legs through pants, than through very thin patterned tights.

The Song... "Put It In A Love Song" - Beyonce & Alicia Keys. It's a Thursday through Saturday night song that should require leather leggings, stilettos, and a hot dance partner. Any takers?

The Advice... for all you brides getting married this year [or all you girls with an 'I.must.look.good' date in your head] - the week before your wedding or event, drink as much water as you possibly can... I'm talking bottles and bottles a day. A day before your event, cut the fluid consumption by a good 80%. Because you've been drinking so much water, your body will be flushing out toxins and fluid retention quickly [aka, lots of bathroom trips] - when you quit fluids a day before, your body won't register the drop in consumption so you'll still be taking regular bathroom trips - but since you aren't taking in as much fluid, your body will look extra toned :)

[as a disclaimer, I understand that not all my methods can be classified as super healthy but you know what? Your wedding day or that hot TIFF party where you think you'll run into George Clooney (sans the Italian beauty) is a day you want to look your best, so why not help yourself out a little bit?]

The Entertainment...this week I have two YouTube video's on replay this week. First, Pink's Grammy performance was amazing, as is her body. Girl crush? Think so. Second and somewhat embarassing, I've been watching a video of a headbanging baby over and over again and each time it gets funnier and funner. Wait, 'funnier' isn't a word is it?

The Inappropriate...handshake. Weak handshakes are a big pet peeve of mine and make me extremely uncomfortable. Is it too hard to put some strength into your grip when you meet someone? I'm not asking you to break my hand, but a little firmness would be greatly appreciated [thats what she said].

The Obsession...is dance. I have always loved dance and besides 5am weights, dance on floor was one of my favourite parts of gymnastics. This week I started taking dance classes again, Saturday was contemporary and last night was Power Barre [the workout responsible for Kelly Rippas ripped bod...also the workout responsible for my inability to sit, walk, or bend over today]. Next on the list is intermediate contemporary and hip hop contemporary and I can't wait. Besides the surface pain, it feels awesome to dance and move my body in different ways again and I can see this obsession getting stronger as time goes on. WIN.

The Frustration...is with the combination of winter and my iPhone. For all you iPhone users you'll understand without me even having to explain, but for those of you stuck in the Blackberry generation [or worse] - the iPhone touch screen only registers skin contact, which means when you're wearing gloves you can't use your phone. FAIL.

The Shoutout...this week is to the hard working FA who knows his business inside and out - I'm proud of you!

Au revoir...

xxLM

On Mistakes...

"Some mistakes are much too fun to make only once"

Some of the best moments and things in my life have come courtesy of a mistake and I wouldn't change them for anything. The more I grow up, the more I realize not only that life goes on, but that life is good, mistakes and all. I've learned that we all have different views on what constitutes a mistake, and to judge one another by their choices is a lot of effort for a lot less payoff. I would never expect anyone to live their life according to what I see as right and wrong, although I do think some people could benefit from a healthy dose of vitamin V[odka] more often.

Yes, there are times when I would have given anything to be able to ctrl+alt+delete myself out of certain situations which shall remain only in my memories [or my iPhoto in some cases], but regret is not the way I wish to spend my time. Well, except the time I decided to pass on Chanel's sale on Rouge Noir nail polish...that I still regret and will continue to regret until I get that fabulous blood red shade on my nails.

The moral of the story: with the exception of major legal no-no's, you decide what constitutes a mistake in your life and if you feel good about a choice you made, all the power to you. Life is too short to judge, and your life is too short to worry about what others think of you. Surround yourself with a variety of people and take comfort in the fact that most of the time, no one notices your mistakes, they're too busy concentrating on their own.

I mean unless your mistake ends up on TFLN --- that everyone notices.


Wishing you a mistake-filled Tuesday.

xxLM.

Wednesday Mash Up

It's officially the Wednesday before Winterlicious starts in Toronto,
which means it's officially the Wednesday that I should make my triumphant return to the gym or any form of physical exercise,
I'm going out to dinner with a girlfriend instead. FAIL[for body]WIN[for liver]


It's also a Wednesday rambler - enjoy.


The Photo

The Scene: in the kitchen [all 200sq feet of it] drinking Jumpy Monkey tea, hair and makeup done, but refusing to get out of my pjs until it's absolutely time to leave. Tights are uncomfortable.

The Song... is "Breathless" by Tswift from the Hope for Haiti Now telethon this past Friday. Did you watch it? It was amazing.

The Advice... At night time before bed, flip your head upside down and brush your hair from root to tip - it will distribute your natural hair oils better than brushing while standing up. You can do this in the morning too for instant volume.

The Entertainment... Make It Or Break It is on tonight and I can't wait. What do I enjoy more than a cheesy, lifetime-esque, family show? A cheesy, lifetime-esque family show about gymnastics. IMO, it would be best to find gymnasts that can act and perform their own routines rather than trying to work with weird actresses who take the simple task of running down a vault runway and turn it into the Hamburgler running to McDonalds...just sayin'. Oh and the story line? Completely accurate. When I was in gymnastics I would always sit up in my bed late at night and visulalize my routines in my head while making semi-graceful arm movements. Barf.

The Inappropriate...first date. I am by no means a dating expert - but the idea of enjoying a date with a young man at a trendy bar downtown seems harmless. Add in his weird female best friend that tells you to hold out on him, his crazy ex girlfriend who appears at the same bar only to be invited over [multiple times] by your date to join the two of you for drinks, and unending phone calls till 4am after you leave the bar, complete with a drunken voicemail that includes the words "father issues" - this guy is definitely a keeper. @youknowwho - I hope I'm invited to the wedding!

The Obsession... Starbuck's sugar-free vanilla cappucino - bone dry. This baby comes with espresso and no milk, only foam, and its amazing. I'd take foam over milk anyday [thats.what.she.said.ew]

The Frustration... is vacation jealousy. I'm seeing and hearing about a lot of your vacation plans that are coming up soon and I'm green with envy. My mom is also just back from LA and getting ready to leave for Florida - wench. While you are all away enjoying the sun, sand, and various fruity cocktails [or vodka soda with lemon..ecch], I will be enjoying my company's vacation freeze from cold Toronto. Bring me back something nice.

The Shoutout... goes to the beautiful lady who had the pleasure of dealing with the inappropriate first date - who is beautiful, [very] smart, funny, and has absolutely no father issues. xx


Happy Wednesday.

xxLM

Dear C,

You would be so proud of your friends! Actually, you must be so proud of your friends, because I know you are very aware of the exciting things going on in their lives. Isn't it crazy that they are all graduating this year? Can you believe how beautiful She has become? You must be so excited for Him to move to NYC - photo editor for Maxim? I could see you in that job, giggling in the background, cheeks red, crooked smile - the best. Will you follow Her in Geneva when she goes for grad school? I'm sure you will. I'm sure you watch over them every day.

I know you watch over us every day.

I am so happy for your friends, but at the same time, a tiny piece of my heart breaks for you. I wonder if you enjoy all of the moments you didn't experience here, in Heaven. Do you have a girlfriend up there? Do you drive? Do you enjoy vodka soda as much as I do? If you do, I hope you always have it with a lime, never a lemon. And be weary of Tequila, it feels good at first, but the liquid courage ultimately turns into semi-solid embarassment. Or so I've heard.

Alumni weekend brought an unexpected surprise for me. We watched old recap videos, and there you were in the stands. Alive. Did you know that I haven't seen a video of you since you left us? To say I couldn't breathe was an understatement. You looked so happy crunched in between Mom & Dad with your videocamera [probably happier than that one time you were stuck in the Super 8 with Mom after she ate that funky pizza]. Your white shirt was a little dirty as usual, and your trucker hat sat crooked on top of your curly hair, it was you. Alive.

Sometimes I forget you were a living person here. That's a hard statement for me to make, but I see you as an Angel, a spirit we refer to all the time, a figure we will always look up to. Seeing the video and the accomplishments of your friends leads me to wonder where you would be now if your time on Earth was extended.

I take comfort in the fact that I truly believe your life could not have been taken at a better time.

It would have been exciting for you to graduate high school, turn 18 and buy special magazines, or turn 19 and be able to buy Mom some wine. It would have been so cool for you to be able to drink, and drive [not at the same time though]. Most of all, I wish that you were standing up with Rob and Mark when it was our day, and not dangling from my flowers.

It's easy to think of all of the 'good' moments you missed, but I think C, in your case, the tough moments that you were guaranteed to go through would have overshadowed these bright spots. I believe that what lay ahead of you post high school would have changed you as a person, and that happy-go-lucky, goofy guy we remember you as, would be different. Our struggles here are nothing compared to the struggles, both physical and mental, that you would have had to experience, none of which we would wish upon anyone, least of all you.

In a twisted way C, October 17, 2005 saved you as much as it saved us. It saved you from pain, stress, and uncertainty. It saved us from a different kind of pain, stress, and uncertainty. This is not to say that these four years have been anything even close to easy, but should the timing have been different, there would be memories of your pain and struggles in addition to the memories of your laugh and poor spelling. Our memories of you are the brightest of bright, and for that, I know I am comforted and forever grateful.

I can only imagine the fun you are having up in Heaven with P, G, S and L. The fun you are having laying all those coins all over the house, brining the bunny to the backyard, and finding us [me] parking spots at the mall. You must be giggling at Mom's dancing and Dad's sleeveless exercise top, R's power alleys and that time I fell facefirst into that mud puddle at Loblaws. This is the life you should be living, the same giggly, drooly, wiggly life you lived here. I have no doubts that you are happy, healthy, and very good looking up in Heaven.

I hope you have no doubts that you are missed every single minute of every single day here. We take comfort in knowing your life was fulfilled by 17, and I hope you take comfort in knowing that we continue to include you in fulfilling our lives here. We all wear your bracelets, we still enjoy Peppercorn Ranch fries, and if we all had the same shoe size, we'd wear your runners. Only Mom is lucky enough to be able to do that.

Thanks for the laughs, the coins, and the parking spots, Love Ya.

Peace.

Wednesday Rambler

I find this week to be going by very slowly and the heartfelt blog I was about to post isn't fitting with my current mood. Wednesday is hump day, and hump day should be cheap, quick, and easy - so that's what you'll get. From now on, Wednesdays will include no specific theme, but a menage of topics that tickle my fancy during the week.

Enjoy.

The Photo:

The Scene: My condo, wearing my sweatpants inside out [try it], and watching IR: Cold Case Files [it was painful to wait for CSI Miami to be over - David Caruso makes me quiver, and not in a good way]

The Song... is hands-down "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" by Alicia Keys. Good Quiver.

The Advice... Run a tiny amount of corn starch through the roots of your Day 2/3 dirty hair, blow dry upside down on cool for 30 seconds = bye bye greasy hair

The Entertainment... The Jersey Shore finale is tomorrow - fist pump! Along with Hoarders, Jersey Shore rates up high on my scale of "this-is-terrible-but-I-can't-look-away" television shows. I used facebook to look up my Jersey Shore name, and my two selections were L-Gel, and The Position [double fist pump!]. What intrigues me most about these guido's and guidettes more than their flawless tanning skills and Snookie's magnificent hair [sans Bump-It], is how they all have functioning livers. How can that be? These classy kids party harder than a pack of freshly 21 year old males on a bachelors trip to Vegas. I guess if they do need transplants, after this show they'll all be able to comfortably afford new livers along with unlimited tanning for the rest of their lives - did you know Snookie makes $10K an appearance? Did you know Snookie and the rest of the cast will be gracing the Wayside with their presence this coming weekend? Apparently all those Jaeger Bombs and bellringers we've purchased throughout the years is finally paying off. Fist pump!

The Inappropriate...email address. A couple weeks ago I was given a resume to forward along to a couple managers within my company. Naturally, I took a good look at the resume before forwarding, and Thank God. I won't post the email address that graced the resume, but here's a tip to all you University/College grads: firstname.lastname@whatever.com. Handing in your resume with your email involving your pet name, any usage of the term "QT" or "baby", and ANY form of numbers resembling 6969 will probably eliminate your chance of receiving the job. It will also eliminate your chance of me passing along your resume. Sorry qtpie4u6969@shootme.com

The Obsession... this week is a tie between my new Carlos Falchi for Target purse [50% off = fist pump!] and candy. This entire week, all I've wanted to eat is anything chewy and covered in sugar [you read correctly]. Fortuntaely, I have many candy flavoured tea's that are lighter on the waistline and the teeth.

The Frustration... this week goes to Heidi Montag. Babycakes - get a hold of yourself, or your plastic self I should say. Don't get too close to the oven or else you're sure to end up in a Mrs. Doubtfire reenactment and we all know how sh*tty burning rubber smells. Ten surgeries at once? I can understand the Botox and the lipo [stop judging me], but tucking your ears back, butt implants, and too many Ds in your breast size is a little much non? I'm glad you no longer have to worry about your ears poking through your hair, totally SO mortifying.

The Shoutout... goes to The Appointment, for your amazing photog skills, your patience, and your ever present ability to deal with my crazies on a daily basis. *Muah.

Have a fist-pumping Wednesday,

XxLM