AWOL



I really want to go someplace where they have REAL fall ~ like this!!!

I know, I know, I've been a little AWOL. It is for a great reason, I promise. And since I haven't had a chance to upload pics to prove it, you'll just have to wait for an explanation. But until then... I noticed a few things while out shopping this weekend. Like pumpkins and Christmas cards (I LOVE Christmas, but Christmas cards in October seems to be jumping the gun a little, doesn't it?!), and salted caramel mochas on the menu of a certain coffee place I haven't frequented in years but will likely be visiting often for the next few months. So what if it's still too warm to contemplate drinking a hot coffee, that's why they invented Frappuccinos! I wish it were already here, but all of these little signs point to ONE thing ~ someday, hopefully very soon, fall is coming and bringing winter on it's coattails!!! And I, for one, can't wait!! Meanwhile... I don't care that the weather report has temperatures soaring back up to the near 80s this weekend. At this moment, there are clouds in the sky and the air is not hot, which is as close to Southern California has been to fall so far. I'll take it! :D

Picture perfect



There are no words to describe this - picture perfect.

Wishing for winter...

Well after two ninety degree days in a row, I woke up this morning to a semi-cloudy day and because of the AC blasting, I deluded myself into thinking it was going to be a cooler day. So I made pot roast. By midday, the breeze still had a slightly cooler temperature than the sweltering weekend, but it was clear that it wasn't quite a pot roast kind of day. Still, it's nice to think there's dinner waiting for me at home at the end of a long, crazy work day. Phew. And I tried a new recipe for Balsamic Pot Roast that sounds delicious ~ I mean, doesn't this pic just make your mouth water?!?!?! Yum!


UPDATE: It's delicious!!! All three diners give this recipe a big thumbs up. We'll be eating this again!

Smiling and trying not to lose my mind...

The heat stole my motivation. Knowing that other parts of the country are enjoying the onset of fall make it somehow worse. The anniversary of September 11th makes me sad every year. Being reminded of evil and tragedy and loss so incomprehensible makes me a little apprehensive about the future. My to do list before I leave for my trip to Bali is so long that subcategories have subcategories... And in the middle of it all, I am trying (TRYING!) to smile and stay calm. This will have to be my mantra for the next few weeks. Not a bad mantra for life actually!

Over it!!!

Well it's shaping up to be another ridiculously hot day in the extended summer misery of Southern California. Sigh. I am SO OVER IT. The heat is SO irritating, so persistent and so uninspiring! I hope it's a lovely, long, rainy winter to make up for this nonsense :P Meanwhile, I'll be blasting my AC and dreaming of things like this:

And this:

And THIS:

Product review - Covergirl/Olay

I signed up a while ago to be a product reviewer, and recently received two products from the Covergirl and Olay cosmetic line - Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation and the pressed powder. I couldn't wait to try these products, the foundation especially looks interesting and unique - swirls of lotion through the make up! Anyway, I had to guess the right color and boy did I get lucky. I used quite a bit of product on freshly moisturized skin (no primer - wasn't sure if I was supposed to use primer?), and it give buildable medium coverage for blemishes, redness and other areas of discoloration. It doesn't feel oily, and although the coverage is great, it doesn't feel heavy or look mask-y on. I really liked the coverage I got from using this product! After applying the foundation (I used my fingertips - keeping it simple :P), I used the pressed powder to set it. I like the silky feel of the powder, and the way it doesn't look overly cakey. If you've never tried these amazing products, I recommend you do! I was really happy with the look I achieved using them in tandem. They were nice enough to send me coupons to share with friends and family, so comment below if you'd like me to send you a coupon! Find them at your neighborhood pharmacy, or your nearest Ulta store, or order online!

DISCLAIMER: I'm a BzzAgent and I received a product sample from BzzAgent for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions :D

Weekend Whirlwind

Gosh I LOVE long weekends. Here's a little collage from our weekend road trip to AZ.

You might recognize my tasty little snack from this Tour de Tucson post. Hope you had a relaxing, enjoyable Labor Day too!