Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish all of you a happy new year!

I will be celebrating New Year's Day (is that supposed to be capitalized?) by watching tons of college football bowl games.  Go Michigan State (they're playing in the Cotton Bowl)!

Have a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!

P.S.  I should be back to posting regularly soon.

Merry Christmas!

To all my readers who celebrate, happy Christmas!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Pass the Wine (Look of the Day)

I'm attempting to come up with witty names for my face of the day posts.  Probably a bad idea.  The "wine" I'm referring to is the shade "Sangria" from the Anastasia Tamanna Palette I used today.

Happy Monkey Day!

I want to wish everyone a very happy Monkey Day!

Today is the day to celebrate all things monkey, ape, and generally primate-related.

This Emperor Tamarin has his party mustache on!

photo from wikipedia

We tend to celebrate Monkey Day everyday in my family, with monkey stuff hanging around the house (get it?  hanging?  'cause monkeys hang in trees? get it? ...)

This little guy hangs on our fridge.

I know King Kong is technically a great ape (very great), but I thought I'd include this painting that hangs in our dining room (painted by my husband).

On a more serious note, today is a good day to learn about endangered species and habitats.

I'd like to introduce you to the critically endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey.

Photograph by Xi Zhinong, Minden Pictures/Corbis

Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys have a distinctive look with a flattened face, an upturned nose, pale blue rings around the eyes, and large pink lips.

Credit: Nguyen Van Truong/FFI

This species of monkey, believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the early 1990s, is native to northern Vietnam.  Like many endangered species, the population decline in the wild is due to habitat loss and hunting, and it is estimated that only 200-250 Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys are left in the world.  But, there is some encouraging news involving this species.  A survey performed in 2013 in the Khau Ca Species and Habitat Conservation Area in the Ha Giang Province in Vietnam recorded 108-113 individuals living in the protected area, up from around 90.  Hopefully, the continued protection of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in the Khau Ca Species and Habitat Conservation Area will ensure the species' survival.

photo from www.flora-fauna.org
http://www.fauna-flora.org/news/tonkin-snub-nosed-monkey-sighting-in-vietnam/

By the way, I, of course, am wearing my Monkey Day socks.

I hope you all have a fantastic Monkey Day!  

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Loveliness

I acquired the Too Faced Chocolate Bar eyeshadow palette recently (yay for birthday presents!), and have had a couple of occasions to play with it.  I am actually still(!) sick, so I haven't been wearing much makeup at all over the past month, but I did put some on last week and came up with this look.

Madame Butterfly in Detroit

I love how this look turned out.

So, what time is it?

Opera time!

What's New?

First off, I apologize for the complete radio silence for the past couple of weeks, but I have been quite under the weather with a bout of bronchitis.

I took this photo November 13th.  Too soon for snow!

Anyhow, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving (for those of you who celebrate!)!  I had a very laid back day with my husband at home.  Even though I am still feeling crummy, I did manage to make us a very mediocre Thanksgiving dinner.

Some very exciting news: we got a new furnace!

Shiny new furnace!

Old (ancient) furnace

We put off buying one last year, but this year the yearly inspection revealed a crack in one of the face plates, which is pretty dangerous.  Besides, the old furnace was built in 1983, and it was rather inefficient.  I'm guessing it was older than many of you, dear readers!  The new furnace is over 96% efficient and Energy Star rated.  Fancy!

In other news, I bought some stuff during the Sephora sale (after my birthday was over, so I didn't include it in my birthday haul post).  Unfortunately, I have been feeling so poorly that I haven't played with any of it yet.  

So, that's what's new with me.  How have you been?

Birthday Haulage

I got some stuff for my birthday.  It was nice that the Ulta 20% off coupon and the Sephora VIB sale coincided with it.

From Ulta:

Olay Regenerist Serum: This is a staple in my skincare routine, and I was out of it.  Not very exciting.

Olay Regenerist Cleansing Cloths: There were free with the serum.  Not very exciting.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette: Very exciting.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Turn On: I have heard nothing but raves for this lip pencil, so I really wanted to try one.  Turn On is a slightly pearlescent cool rose.

Japonesque Pro Performance Lipstick in 05: I haven't heard anything about these, but the color looked so pretty I decided to try it.  This is a niiiiiiice lipstick.  I'll try to do a review soon.

From Sephora:

Josie Maran Pure Argan Oil: A staple in my skincare routine.  Not particularly exciting, but a nice, luxurious purchase.

Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner: A necessity.  Not exciting.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette: Very Exciting.  I missed out on the Amrezy palette, but I'm now okay with that.  I read that this one is better quality, and the colors and packaging are beautiful.

I like the "Get the Look" cards that come with it.

I kind of have eyeshadow palettes coming out my ears (great visual, right?), but they are my weakness.

I also got some sparkly Tarina Tarantino pink gumball earrings.

And, I got some free cereal bowls with the purchase of some cereal.  I chose Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam.

I bought a couple more things from the Sephora VIB sale which haven't arrived yet...

Yay for birthdays, right?

Mid/Late Fall Garden 2014

This is a continuation of yesterday's garden post.  It had been so long since I uploaded a garden post, that I needed to break it up into two parts!

Photos are chronological:

Mid September

I planted some new daylilies and bulbs.  I get very dirty when I garden.

These are daylilies "Nosferatu", "Barracuda Bay", and "Eleanor"

Hydrangea

I love how the blooms change from white to dusty pink in the fall.

We acquired a new Venus Fly Trap.  Variety: "Angel Wings"  This is a rare fly trap that has traps that are so convex that they can't close -- the closed trap is a new baby trap that hasn't opened up yet.

Early October

Chrysanthemum

This is the flower from the "Judith Hindle" pitcher plant.

"Judith Hindle" is the tall ruffly pitcher plant.

Sarracenia leucophylla

Sarracenia minor

Venus Fly Trap "Maroon Monster"

Hydrangea

 The hydrangea blooms darkened and got very pink in October.

Late October

Hydrangea

The leaves on the hydrangea bushes turned yellow while the blooms stayed pink.  I think the effect is stunning.

We bought a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes)!

I love the way a carpet of fallen leaves looks.

I guess I didn't take too many late October garden pictures.

Early November

Hydrangea

The hydrangeas are done, but I think the blooms still look cool, even though they are brown.

Chrysanthemum

Hosta

I think the hosta are pretty when they turn yellow.

Japanese Maple

We took all of the carnivorous plants in now that it is getting quite cold at night.

Whew!  That's a lot of changes in the garden!  Thank you for taking both yesterday's and today's garden tours with me!