Anniversary Day at the Detroit Zoo (Lots of Pics and Videos)

Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.  We got married in the Detroit Zoo Butterfly House, so we try to go back every year on our anniversary.  We had a wonderful day.  It wasn't too hot and the animals were out (not hiding like they sometimes do).  We also live close enough to the zoo that we can walk there, which is quite nice.

A Little Rant/Ramble

So, what do you guys think of the whole Sephora Epic Rewards fiasco?

Beauty is fleeting?  Geez.

Google "Sephora Epic Rewards" and you'll see what I'm talking about.  For example:
http://www.eonline.com/news/685185/twitter-is-really-pissed-at-sephora-over-their-epic-rewards-day-find-out-why-it-became-an-epic-fail

Warning: this post is nothing but text.  No pretty pictures here.  Feel free to skip it.  I'm just blathering in this one, so it's pretty long.

Makeup Trends I Have Yet To Master

So, there are some beauty trends out there (I'm mainly speaking of Instagram, because runway or high fashion trends are very different) that I either can't seem to get right, or that just aren't for me.  Now that I'm on Instagram, I think I'm much more aware of these "popular" trends.  Many (but not all) blogs I read do more reviews and new collections coverage (which is why I read them -- for information on that kind of thing).  Instagram is more single photo and brief caption friendly, so showing a makeup look that doesn't need a whole lot of explanation (except for maybe what products were used) on Instagram makes sense.  (Part of me even wonders if I should start putting my face of the day posts on Instagram instead of here on the blog.  Personally, I like to read blogs that feature face of the day posts, which is why I put mine here.)

Anyhow, there are a few "trends" that I see on Instagram that I have yet to master/figure out/decide if they are really for me.

A Kitty Update

I told you last week that my parents' cat Rani was missing.  She had escaped when a new dryer was being delivered to their house.  Everyone was worried about her, and everyone in the neighborhood was looking for her.

Well, she is now home!!!

Lab Work Time

We're getting ready to put some more Venus flytrap seeds in tissue culture, so last weekend we mixed and prepared the growing medium.  It's quite a process, but rather fun.

We take safety seriously when performing our lab work.  But not our hair.

Wakeup Carnivorous Plants!

It's time for the carnivorous plants to wakeup from dormancy, come out of the basement, and get out into the real sun.  Most of them are already showing new growth, and the little Pingicula grandiflora is blooming!

The ping!  (The little black dots on the leaves in the background are tiny bugs the ping "caught" over the winter in the root cellar.)

Cats and Plants

Just a short post with some fun photos.

I often wake up to Emma thinking she should be sleeping on my pillow.

Charlie sometimes falls asleep on his face.

There's life in that jar!  (These are some of the venus fly traps we put in tissue culture.)

Have a wonderful Saturday!

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!

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!  

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?

New Technology

Man, I feel like I am behind on the blogging front, both posting and reading/commenting on my favorite blogs.  I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to respond to comments.  I've just been doing stuff that has been taking up time that I usually use for blogging.

Anyhow, I did this to my phone the other day:

Fantastic, right?

Well, I did need an updated phone anyway, I suppose.  So, I got this:

A new iPhone 6!

It is quite lightweight and skinny, but definitely bigger than my old iPhone 4.

Now, I'm going to let you in on a secret.  I use my phone to take all my photos for the blog.  Maybe you had already figured this out because often my photos aren't super great quality.  I decided to use my phone because the old camera I own is not as good as the camera in the iPhone (even the old 4).  I think my photos are sufficient for what I do here on the blog, although I will admit that some swatches require a bit of tweaking to try to get the color more true to life.  I'm hoping this new iPhone with the improved camera will take more true to color photos.

The new iPhone has James Bond spy-esque fingerprint recognition technology that seems crazily futuristic to me.

I'm having fun with my new phone.  I think it may take me a while to learn how to use it to its full potential, and to get used to how light and skinny it is.

How old is your cell phone (if you have one!)?

Year-Round and Seasonal Halloween Decor (Lots of Fun Pics)

Oh my goodness!  Halloween is tomorrow!

I love Halloween stuff/decor/decorations/trinkets/tchotchkes/etc., so it's rather surprising that I don't decorate a whole heckuva lot for Halloween.  Maybe it's because I have sort of Halloween-y decorations inside and outside of my house all year round:

One of the two gargoyles guarding the house

We have a cast of a skull in the living room.

We have busts of the Bride of Frankenstein and Werewolf, and mini Madame Alexander dolls of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch on a bookcase in our computer room.

The bookcase is also home to a skull that has a removable skull cap so you can use it as a candy dish, and a large tarantula (not live, thank goodness) named Lemmy.  Next to the skull is our stack of "The Walking Dead" books (volumes 1-16). (Which, I'll have you know, we read long before the tv show existed.  So there.)

On another bookcase in the computer room, we have a (tarnished) antique silver candelabra and matching vase with black roses, and an Angel of Death figurine.

My sister painted this figurine and gave it to us for Christmas one year.

On that same bookcase, we have a witch and cat figurine/windvane that my husband's sister gave us.

On a bookcase in the living room, we have a glittery severed hand that sits behind a black wooden bowl.

My mom just gave me this awesome Second Empire-style ceramic house that is kind of haunted house-y.  This is how my husband and I want our house to look.  It would require a total rebuild, though.

She also gave me this nightlight/fragrance diffuser with a "bulb" (they call it a bulb) of Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice fragrance.

In the guest bedroom, we have a set of glow-in-the-dark zombie figurines that were a wedding gift from our best man and his wife.  They know us so well.

And then we have my husband's art.  (I'm only going to show you three pieces, otherwise this would be a never ending post).

This one is a self-portrait.

This one, called "My Dad is a Werewolf", is 4 feet by 3 feet large.

Here is how it looks on the mantle.

He created series of artworks called "Totally Sweet" that is a group of portraits of well-known horror villains/monsters (mostly from films) made out of Halloween candy.  We have a framed print of the black cat portrait in the living room.

Close-up -- you can see all the different kinds of candy used.

Finally, we have some "temporary" Halloween decorations around the house:

Glittery spider for the front door!

I made this banner years ago.  It is made out of felt bats and puffy paint.  I love it!

I even added dots of red glitter paint for the eyes.

I hung up some skull lights on the mantle.

They look fitting under the werewolf painting.

Of course, we will put out our plastic light-up Jack-o'-lantern on the porch on Halloween night.

I did hang up this little dude, but maybe it's too morbid.

Do you decorate for Halloween?

P.S.   If you would like to check out more of my husband's candy monsters from his "Totally Sweet" series, go to http://www.freep.com/story/news/weird/eric-millikin/2014/09/18/eric-millikin-totally-sweet-candy-monsters-2014/15804341/.  He has 17 total so far, with more to come.  They include Leatherface from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", Vincent Price, Lily Munster, Audrey II from "Little Shop of Horrors", and a self-portrait.

The Secrets of Blogging Tag

A bit of a different kind of post today!  (Maybe a nice break from my face?)  Tanya from Leopard Lace and Cheesecake tagged me to do the "Secrets of Blogging" tag thingy, which involves answering a few questions about, well, blogging.

1. When did you start blogging and why?  My first post was published in January 2013.  I had been reading beauty blogs for ages, and I asked my mom, sister, and husband if I should start one so that they wouldn't have to listen to me drone on about cosmetics.  They all said "absolutely!"  Actually, they're very happy listen to me ramble on about makeup because they know it's one of my hobbies, but I think they wanted to encourage me to create a blog to give me something fun to think about, and to be able to connect with like minded people.

2. How many people in "real life" know about your blog?  I think most everyone in my family knows about my blog (my mom has emailed them links to my garden posts), but I don't think they read it regularly.  None of my "real life" friends know about my blog.  Not even the ones I worked with at Sephora, which is silly, because they would probably enjoy it (you kind of have to be a cosmetic-aholic to work there).  I guess part of me doesn't want everyone to know just how into cosmetics (especially makeup) I am.

3. What are your favorite posts to read?  I have to choose?  I guess face/eye/nails of the day posts are pretty close to the top of the list, because I always find inspiration in them.  Reviews/swatches are always helpful; hauls are fun; personal posts are interesting.  I read and enjoy them all!

4. List a blog you have discovered recently  Geez, I'm constantly finding new blogs to read.  I often find new ones by googling a product, looking at the image results, and discovering that it's from a blog I would enjoy reading.  A couple that I have come across recently (even though they are established blogs) are Hello Jaa (amazing photos) and The Painted Rogue (really fun writing).

5. Which posts are you most proud of?  Hmmm.  One that comes to mind is my post about our carnivorous plant collection.  I try to do a good job on all of my posts.  Some are shorter or simpler than others, but I try to create posts that I am proud of and that I would enjoy reading if I was a reader and not the creator.

6. What advice would you give to future bloggers?  My attitude toward blogging might be different than most people's.  I'm not interested in monetizing my blog, which is why I don't have any ads on it.  At this point, I don't promote my blog in any way.  I read Twitter and Facebook everyday, but I very rarely post anything.  And it's never about my blog (see question 2).  When I feel like I'm not doing a good enough job with my blog the advice I give myself is as follows:  "Write about whatever you want.  This is your corner of the interwebz.  Don't feel pressured to post all the time, watch the numbers, or do it perfectly.  As soon as blogging becomes a chore, take a wee break from it."

So there you have it.  A little insight in to my blog, blogging, and blog reading habits!

Thank you, Tanya, for tagging me!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

The low to mid 60°F temperatures here in Michigan really make it feel like fall has arrived, even though the autumnal equinox is not for another week or so.  It got me thinking about a few favorite things about summer and fall. 

A few things I will miss about summer:  

   

1) long days -- I like when it is still light out at 9pm.

   

2) easy dressing -- Undergarments, a dress, sandals  DONE.

   

3) baseball -- Although, if you count the playoffs, we have until the end of October for baseball.  Hopefully the Detroit Tigers will be in the playoffs!

   

4) high temperatures -- I actually enjoy hot weather.  I mean hot for Michigan (usually less than 95°F).

   

5) my garden -- There is still visual interest in the garden in the fall, certainly, but as plants start to die back to prepare themselves for winter, the garden starts to look less full.

What I will not miss about summer (I could only come up with one):

1) over air-conditioned restaurants/stores/theaters -- I never remember to bring a cardigan with me.

A few things I'm looking forward to this fall:

   

1) butternut squash soup -- I like to eat this soup in the autumn.  Yum.

   

2) changing leaves -- The colors of the turning leaves in Michigan can be pretty spectacular.

   

3) fall fashion editorials in fashion magazines -- They seem to pull out all the artsy photography for the fall issues.

   

4) fall fashion -- The cozy knits, layered looks, and boots boots boots!

   

5) fall makeup -- I love jewel tones and deep shades on eyes, cheeks, and lips, which seem to mirror the moody weather.  

   

6) football!

7) Halloween stuff -- Especially the decor and the candy.

What I'm not looking forward to this fall:

   

1) shorter days -- I don't get as much done when the days are shorter.

   

2) uneven temperatures -- The temperatures in Michigan can vary wildly from day to day, so I never know what to wear until the morning of that day.  And even then, sometimes more than one outfit is needed.

3) leaf blowers -- I don't know if I'm particularly sensitive to the frequency at which a leaf blower operates, but the sound absolutely drives me up the wall.  One of my neighbors is especially fond of his leaf blower and will use it whenever he feels like it and for as long as he feels like it.  I've seen him use it in the rain.  Just thinking about the sound of leaf blowers is making my blood pressure rise.

So, what will you miss about summer, and what do you like about fall?