Sara’s Weekly Whatever. Stealing the computer long enough to make a post edition!

Managed to buy eight new colors of nail polish,(three were on clearance) a green mascara, silver glitter eyeliner, and glitter eyeshadows in a pastel palette. I LOVE Halloween , best time to get the rare goods! I’m talking about glitters, black and other colors of lipstick, glow in the dark anything, colored/sparkly hairsprays, black cat anything, hair dyes in fun colors, other goodies for those that follow a different beat

Seahawks won their game. From now on I’m going to wear my Seahawks playoff shirt on gamedays. On the days that I haven’t worn it, the team’s lost.Don’t want to fuck up what works best lol.

Got a bunch of costume ideas from rummaging through my closet. Costumes run from the very easy to do to some that could have contest potential with the right accessories or upgraded pieces.

But first, nails!

Applied two coats of L.A. Colors color craze nail polish in Live (silver). Using Wired (blue) it’s in the same brand as the silver, I drew a line starting from the mid point of cuticle straight down the lateral length of nails. I then added green tips being careful to paint around the blue line. The green used is New York Color’s in a new york minute quick dry nail polish High Line Green.

First costume idea is very simple to do. All that you need is a shirt that has “lucky” or “Lady Luck”. My shirt is one I picked up years ago from Wal-mart for St. Patrick’s Day and other “lucky occasions”.

For this costume, it’s best to keep makeup simple because the focus should be on the numbers and other symbols used. I did a twist and added some of my own lucky symbols amongst the traditional ones. A black cat and the number 13. There’s a turtle, a horseshoe, the numbers 7 & 6, two four leaf clovers. I used eyeliners for the numbers and to outline the horseshoe and to add definition to the turtle. Using eyeshadow, I made head, tail, flippers with a bright green. The shell is with blue. I then drew the flippers, tail and head ,giving my turtle a bit of a pointed nose with a black glitter eyeliner.For the shell I used a silver glitter eyeliner on the outside edge, I edged the inside of the silver with the black, adding more detail as i went along. For the horseshoe I applied a highly pigmented silver in a U shape, then drew the outline with the black glitter eyeliner, cleaning up as I went.To top this look off I added a jade elephant pendant with the trunk curled up to pair with my ever present cross…..oh, and some homemade hoop earrings that share colors with the shirt. (South Park in the background, one of our favorite animated shows<3 )

TIP: If you can, have a friend paint your chosen numbers, animals, and other symbols on your face. I used a mirror to do this. Very important If you’re going to use a mirror, draw your numbers Backwards, that way they’re correct when viewed by friends.

If you’re stuck on what lucky symbols to use, go on google and start there, from the search, I learned that there’s a shitload of lucky animals, objects and symbols. To top this look off I added a jade elephant pendant with the trunk curled up to pair with my ever present cross…..oh, and some homemade hoop earrings that share colors with the shirt. (South Park in the background, one of our favorite animated shows<3 )

Second costume idea is called “biker babe” For this one to really shine (and be better than mine lol) You will need a leather jacket,( hope yours has buttons, for authenticity, I suggest those that hit about waist/hip, any with fringe or a zipper. Adornments are a plus. Leather pants or riding chaps over bootcut or jegging/skinny jeans or any other comfortable pair, preferably blue or black. If you have boots above the ankle and taller they’d be awesome for this, just make sure your boots are over your pants, the better to show them off. A bold graphic shirt featuring a bike or any brand of one is an essential piece that ties it together. A shirt with a motto like “death before dishonor” “love me , love my bike” , etc., etc., skulls, stuff that looks like “ed hardy” http://www.designersimports.com/cat-ed_hardy.htm can also go here www.harley–davidson.com .Tattoos are a plus and really cool as are piercings too. Keep makeup bold but simple and if in doubt pick colors from your shirt or go wild and have fun 🙂 I used orange on the inner half of eyes, used a blue that matched shirt for outer half, and red for lips.  Applied black mascara generously.

For accessories, chained wallets, bandana hat/headband, metal/ studded belt, any jewelry featuring roses, flames, skulls, crosses,spikes, studs and other motifs in the two sites or similar ones. Layer jewelry, have many rings, bracelets, necklaces.

Third costume is of a renaissance peasant woman. Renaissance faires are fun places to attend….especially in costume. Sometimes you can even get a discount if you’re in costume. Don’t feel like dressing up as a peasant, then try fairy, nymph, mermaid,sprite, satyr, minor royalty, dwarf,elf, troll, orc, random disney princess, your rift or world of warcraft character, any lord of the rings character, game of thrones, list goes ever on.

For this costume I went with makeup in light purples on eyes, some mascara, and bold berry lips. It helps to have a shirt , cropped or otherwise with long pointy sleeves like mine,I’ll prolly wear a long sleeved shirt in a close match under this one.

A peasant top works well too.If unsure what qualifies as a peasant top just go to google images. A crinkle skirt like mine is an essential piece to have. I got it for cheap at Wal-mart. A chain skirt is another nice element to have. here’s a close up of mine. Keep jewelry and nails simple. Best suited footwear for this is ….simple leather sandals or clog like shoes.

Last idea  is “rebel royalty”. Pile on the black, lace, crosses, skulls, have a tiara in your hair, a dark makeup look with pops of bold or bright color , can also spray temporary hair colors on pieces or edges or dye all your hair. I use Jerome Russell’s Punky Colour Spring Green on my unbleached strawberry blonde hair. It’s semi permanent, left my damaged hair silken soft the conditioners tamed fly aways and left my hair easier to style. The bright green highlights were applied using Jerome Russell B wild!!!temp’ry color spray Jaguar Green. It washes out with soap and water easily. For best results arrange the hair you want sprayed on top of a cloth, that way only the selected bits get color hits and the rest stays nice. Black peasant top with lace on sleeves to match the short lace skirt, bonus points if it’s got rips and holes. Dammnit, the tiara isn’t very visible but it’s there. I wear leggings with this cause I don’t like exposing my legs and it’s cold, also don’t wan’t to blind anyone lol. I used black sneakers but black boots would work here, so would mary janes, embellished slip ons, loafers too Especially if velvet, embroidered, or spikes,studs. Stilettos won’t work here.(most rebels refuse to wear them, I myself can’t stand the pointy painful toe end and the tiny toothpick heel that can get stuck in things like sidewalk cracks. Give me a solid block heel that I can run and live in! A black coat works very well, bonus points if there’s lace, velvet,furry/fuzzy shoulders, and if it’s long, the longer the better. I didn’t have a scepter, if I made one, it would feature a hand flipping the bird and be silver with black, green, blue details. Make up, I did a light version of rebel royalty. I think it would have been better if I had used dark colors.

 

This not having a computer or phone thing is starting to suck…..

Having to steal time on my friends PCs is starting to get annoying, but we should have a blog up on Thursday for everyone’s enjoyment! Hang in there with me folks, and we’ll make it through this dark time!

God, or whatever supreme being there is, has decided to test my patience!

It’s a good thing he gave me friends and family that are awesome at supporting me. My phone decided to blow up today! Stupid electronics, always going bad! Still, considering I only paid $50 for it, and used it for over a year, I’m not that upset about it.

Still, what can ya do? I told my friend I’d be coming over more often to use his computer now, not sure how HIS wife is going to take it, but that’s okay. As much as I’ve done for him in the past, he can sleep on the couch for me for awhile ; )

Anyways, posts will still be going up, thanks to this generous friend. Just wanted to offer you guys a heads up. RAW

Sara’s Weekly Whatever, after sickness edition!

Quick question before I launch into the intro for Sara…..does anyone here have any experience formatting e-books properly? I Want to add mine to the Smashwords catalog, but they say it’s not formatted right. Getting very frustrating, especially since I have to commandeer my friend’s computer to work on it! Rather get help from someone who enjoys my writing than from some random guy I don’t know.

Okay, that’s enough complaining for the day. Feeling much better, just a bit of a tickle left in the back of the throat. Should be back to our normal posting routines now that we’ve kicked the crap! So, without further ado, I give you the woman of the hour. My lovely wife, Sara!

Been sick for far too long for my liking. I’m doing much better, wasn’t able to think clearly at all for several days among other things, was also clumsier than usual too. Weather is getting colder, so I followed suit and switched out the rest of my summer clothes for long sleeves and thicker fabrics, switching out colors in the process. Been looking stuff up, the trending colors for this season and month so far have been pink (all shades), strong cobalt blues,teal, emerald greens and woodsy browns, deep wine reds and berries, also leather and lace of varying colors have been popular too. Metallics are having a Big moment in clothes and makeup. These are the following trending metals, rose gold, silver ( bright, antique) bright gold,and I think copper too.

Woot! Seahawks play Sunday at 10am!! I might put up a game day makeup look before game starts or after if I’m running late.

After washing face and plucking eyebrows, I first applied a light wash of the pale green found in the bottom triangle of Rimmel’s Glam’eyes trio eyeshadow in Tempting. It went on browbone , crease , not on lids. On eyelids I used two colors from Milani’s Autumn Earth eyeshadow quad. Used the green in a few layers, turning up the saturation level. I then chose the red to line under bottom lashes and to line top eyelashes, flicking out past top lashline for a personal touch on the cat’s eye look. Finished eyes by using Maybelline’s Great Lash mascara in Blackest Black on both top and lower lashes. For lips, a well blotted stain of Milani’s Bonfire lipstick, with a sheer glossy layer of Covergirl’s Blackberry Splash Wetslicks fruit spritzers.

Swirls of reds and greens

leaves falling, spinning

seen,

then unseen

A mixture of greens, reds, cranberries, with leaves,clear drops, stripes of black rainbow patina and the gray cylinders are hematite.

Painted half of each nail using Revlon’s Rain Forest Colorstay Longwear nail enamel in the usual two coats. On the other side after the green’s dried, I applied a bright red,NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel’s Broadway Burgundy Frost used three coats for a more saturated hue. Went over minor mistakes with a third coat of Rain Forest. I really like the pairing of these two similarly glittered colors. They both feature tiny specks and flecks of glitter that contrast with base color,are big enough to empart some sparkle and small enough to not look “cluttered” and easily comes off.

Here’s a close up of the colors.

Here’s two of the trees I’ve made out of wire and various types of beads.

Tree is modeled after those viewed during autumn.

This one is inspired by palm trees and a summer breeze, there’s even some coconuts hidden under the leaves. Both trees stand on their own.

Woot! I’ve sold my first two books EVER!

And I haven’t even been able to format them right for the premium catalog!

Now I really feel like an author. To the two people who bought my book, thank you(BTW, could you leave me a review on the first one? Lol)! Sara and I should be posting the last one on smashwords soon, then I need to find some help formatting them correctly for their catalog. Stupid TOC, they won’t accept it into their catalog unless I have one.

Been a pain in the ass editing this last book from my phone. I feel like Missy is sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my one good ear that the book isn’t done, running down to my thumbs and putting them to work on this android keyboard! Now I know why Nord hates fairies, they’re annoying!

And Sara will have her weekly post up tommorrow. We’ve both been fighting the head cold from hell! Anyways, time for the special post, I hope you all enjoy!

Mangoes:

I’be always liked mangoes, though with how I grew up, we never had them. It wasn’t until I was 25 that I tried my first ones. Dried and prepackaged, they were a gift from a phillipino coworker. They’d been coated in singer, and were delicious!

Now that I’m making my life changes, I’ve gone back to eating them. And since they’re perfectly sweet already, I buy frozen, no sugar added.

Pros:

Full of vitamins! Lots of vitamin A, E, C, K, and B6.

Filling! One cup is equal to only 110 calories.

Fiber! As an American, I can say we as a nation do NOT eat enough fiber, the good carb!

Cons:

High in sugar! 25 grams in a cup.

Low in vitamin B12! Going to have to keep the supplements close for that mid day boost.

A pain in the ass to peel! Mangoes are dense, full of water, and have a slick outer coating. These fruit are an accident waiting to happen if you don’t know how to peel them safely. That’s why I suggest buying frozen, just way less of a hassle.

Recipes:

Mango salsa

2 cups sliced mangoes

2 cups sliced peaches

2 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger

1/4 cup basil

2 chilli peppers

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Make sure your stuff is diced to a size you like. Mix it all together and place in the fridge overnight. Nice healthy additive free salsa!

Curried mango chicken:

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

3 Tablespoons curry paste

2 cups diced mangoes

Melt olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic, sautee until onions are see through. Add chicken, turning to brown the meat. Add curry paste and coat chicken. Toss in the mangoes and cook until chicken is done.

Best place to buy!

Honestly, your local grocery store. I usually just buy frozen, no need to peel them! $4.50 a pound at Safeway here in Washington.

People just don’t understand.

I hate walking.

It hurts. I try to explain to people how and why, but I still get judging looks. My lower back begins to throb, before changing to a sharp stabbing pain. Feels like someone is shoving an ice pick in the base of my spine. Then there’s my mid-back. A constant spot of tightening muscles that never lets up, one that I have to deal with 24-7. Turn wrong in my sleep and I’m paying for days!

But i digress, let’s get back to the subject at hand. It’s even stranger when I walk with Sara. The looks we get when we walk hand in hand. EVERYONE, without fail, does a double take, as if unable to believe a guy as big as I am could put this little petite woman under my spell. I’m going to let the young guys in on the secret. You’re all screwed. I was lucky. Sara is the rare mix of 1950’s I should listen to my husband woman, mixed with just a splash of the current american woman, loud, out spoken, and powerful.

We keep trying to tell her, she needs to be louder, more outspoken! But she loves the humble pie, and is an inspiration of what my ego won’t allow me to be. I could tell you something that could be a contributing factor, but Sara says I can’t tell you. Most of the time I’d tell you anyways, but I’ve been pushing buttons lately, and I fear if I continue she’s going to stab me in the neck with a fork. She can fight when she wants to, and she does not pull the punches when I get out of line. Maybe that’s what I need though, someone to remind me I am just a man.

Walnuts

The brain nut! Chock full of good fats and protein, and just a little fiber. Everyone talks about an apple a day, but in my book, nuts are better.

Pros:

Lots of antioxidants! That’s right, the same thing that has me drinking green tea everyday.

Good for the heart! The amino acid l-arginine helps to keeps your blood flowing smooth. (Careful if you have herpes, NOT a joke.)

High in omega 3 fatty acids! That’s right, the good fat!

Cons:

A lot of calories for a little nut! They are horrible if you count calories.

Expensive! Even at the cheapest, you’re going to pay $8 a pound.

Best place to buy:

I really hate Walmart! Why do they always have the lowest prices! We’re going to live in a Walmart world soon, I sometimes fear. Still, when the next closest price is FIVE DOLLARS more a pound, and you’re poor like I am, you do what you have to do. $8.32 a pound.

Recipes:

Good Old Fashioned Nut Butter

All nuts should be roasted, but unsalted. Only for low sodium diets. Salted nuts for no sodium restrictions.

1/2 a cup peanuts

1/2 a cup almonds

1/2 a cup walnuts

1/2 a cup cashews

Easy to make, just takes time. Put all the nuts into a food processor, and chop them til it looks like peanut butter! Have utensils ready to scrape the sides. When desired consistency, scrape into a container. It will be good for six months.

Sara’s Weekly Whatever: Breast Cancer Awareness

I love my wife, she’s a wonderful woman who is so loving and undestanding. So don’t be upset at her for the lateness of these posts. It’s all my fault for not buying the parts I need yet. Then again, you need money to buy that stuff. Either way, here’s the star of today!

That’s okay, sexy. I Love you anyways.

Seahhawks nails

I felt like doing something different, so I devised a stripe cheat cause I don’t use tiny brushes only toothpicks. First I painted nails twice with Rimmel’s 60 Seconds Vinyl Shine in Denim Dreams. Once certain it was dry, I then used Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup in Titanium Chrome on about half my nails, used two coats, waiting extra time between to prevent heavy streaking.

I then started to use Pure Ice’s Lucky Charming to lightly tip nails. It looked okay, but I could do better. I thickened the green converting it into a bolder stripe causing the silver to become more of an accent and the green ended upbalancing the blue better.

No bracelet pic, wore the usual quad for gamedays.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Feels like if its not Halloween or autumnal, then its pink for breast cancer. Practically Everything…….All this funding and still no marketed cure. There’s a cannabis derived oil that’s helping some fight cancer, There’s also a berry from the Blushwood Tree. It’s newly discovered from Austrailia. Can get more info –> http://bit.ly/1y3YLCq . Well here it is. Pink for breast cancer!

Nail pic

Here’s a trick for the half moon manicure I figured out.

First paint your full nails the color you want your half moon accent to be. I chose to apply Scherer’s Chameleon in a pale barely there metallic pink called Ballerina. Most use stencils, dots, other things at this point. I then applied a few coats of NYC Long Wearing Nail Enamel in Plumberry Plaza carefully leaving a half moon shape at cuticle base. I deemed the accent shape too light so went over the pale pink with a bright pink from the same line as the pale. It’s called Heat.I then reapplied the dark berry to cover up minor mistakes. Heat catches the light and is a really fun new take on the autumn pallette especially with Plumberry Plaza. May do more similar color pairings.

Bracelets pic

Colors of cranberries with palest pink accented with bubblegum, black with rainbow patina, and a touch of magenta. All glass seed beads on elastic stretch cord.

Makeup pic

Only used three colors of eyeshadow and black mascara.

First applied Maybelline’s Roller Color in Go-Go Rose to crease and browbone. It’s a shimmery light pink. I then used two colors from Milani’s Autumn Earth quad, the soft ivory and brick red.The red went on eyelids and lined lower lashes. Afterwards, I layered the ivory over it for a softer feeling, more flowers, less rebel. Topped it off with a few generous swipes of another Maybelline product, their mascara, Great Lash in Blackest Black on upper eyelashes.

For my lips I did a sheer well blotted wash of a dark berry lipstick, Milani’s Black Cherry. Then used a gloss, Covergirl’s Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers in Blackberry Splash over the lipstick. These colors really made my hair and eyes stand out. I especially enjoyed the contrast of the soft green of my hair with the light pinks and bold berries of varying shades and hues…My hair looks faded in this pic, now’s the time to redye it.

We Sing

B-e-a-utiful. Anyways, going to have a new post up from Sara tomorrow.It a pain in the butt doing this stuff from a phone! Wtb a new motherboard and power supply!

ScribbleDartsfromtheHeart

How easily we fall
into thinking we are different
special
We are wonderfully individual!

But when different
equals alone
we are wrong

Alone we lose our strength
alone we fall prey to
our own false thoughts and misunderstanding
Alone we become victims of inner fears
Deep seated desires and urges
plague our thoughts
cloud our eyes
run through our veins

We are unique
We are not different
We each share a story that winds
its thread through all willing to listen
Each beating heart
recognizes the call of another
The beat stretches from the beginning
of time
and touches us all

It’s a beautiful song
we are meant to share
and sing joyously together

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It’s my birthday, yay!

I actually forgot until I checked Facebook x D

But that’s okay. I was hoping to post some of my GTA story up today, but to no avail. Spent the last week scouring my friend’s old PCs to get mine running, but it didn’t work. So they’re still trapped on a dead computer. Oh well, I guess I’ll keep giving weight loss advice.

Meditation: If you don’t meditate, you really should start. Fifteen minutes a day, helps you focus. Helps you prepare. And it helps you RELAX! Which is something we all need to do in this world. Lots of simple techniques to use. Not to mention that with practice, you’ll find it helps with pain management, as well as a general sense of well being. But just like anything else in life, you get out what you put in.

Favorite technique:

Step one- breathe in through your nose. Internally ask yourself, “Who am I?” Three times.

Now breathe out through the mouth over the course of six seconds. Count it if you need to.

Step two- In through the nose again. Ask yourself, “What do I want?” Three times.

breathe out over six seconds.

Step three Breathe in and ask, “What is my purpose?” Three times.

Exhale, and clear your mind to relax.

Don’t try to answer the questions, just ponder them as you relax.

One thing I have noticed about health is that your body and mind are connected. You work on one without the other, and you’ll send everything out of whack.

Weight loss food of the day:

Tumeric

For those of you who like curry, you know this spice. Bright orange with a savory smell, this is a miracle herb. Just a tablespoon a day has AMAZING health benefits.

Pros

Contains most of the vitamins and minerals your body needs! From vitamin A to magnesium, tumeric has everything but protein.

A little goes a long way! Just a dash added to salads and soups brings out a lot of flavor.

Proven to help with prostate and other cancers! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nE7T5FZUgu4

Cons

If you eat too much, it turns your poop orange! And I mean neon. Freaked me out the first day I used it.

Stains easily! Not just clothing, but skin too. So be careful when handling it.

Recipe:

Tumeric chicken

Two chicken breasts

pinch salt

two pinches pepper

quarter tablespoon tumeric

Place chicken in a baking pan. Sprinkle herbs on them. Bake at 325 for one hour. Cover the pan for juicier meat.

Slow cooker curry chicken noodle soup

Two chicken breasts

Five cups liquid(I use chicken broth)

One and a half teaspoons salt

tablespoon pepper

tablespoon tumeric

Two cups noodle of preference

One and a half cups frozen vegetables(I prefer corn with this recipe)

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Set to low, and walk away for eight hours.

Best place to buy:

Since tumeric is a spice, you can readily find it in spice aisles, but I’m a frugal spender, so I like to look for deals. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/starwest-botanicals-turmeric-root-powder-organic-1-lb-pkg?SourceCode=INTL405&CAWELAID=1509247513&mkwid=gESnxh2Y&pcrid=59192791447&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtb6hBRC_57Pvyfn66LsBEiQAtlFVu7fjz3zaFqu6u7k7YFx8ipRovyJqRxFemKOlqiHh62kaAv9d8P8HAQ was the best deal I could find.n

I hate being broke!

Another five pounds this week! I used to think finding a way to workout on my sore back would be the hardest to accomplish. It’s not! The thing that’s the hardest is watching others eat refined sugar! And then I came to a realization. Sugar is a drug! It gets you high, people are irritable if they don’t have it, and I know people that will do just about anything to sugar. Hell, from looking at this picture, it may well be more addictive than cocaine! Chew on that for a moment.

And the problem with 3/4 of the fat free foods, is they replace the fat with sugar!

Flaxseed-

Another amazing seed! These are extremely healthy for you, and recommended for any life style, once you acquire the taste.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2

PROS-

Cheaper than CIA Seeds!

The chia seeds big little brother! Has a almost nutty taste. *WARNING* Can be an acquired taste. I found eating the seeds like already shelled sunflower seeds the easiest.

Complete protein! Good for vegans in search of protein. Chia is a more complete one. Try mixing the two for snacks!

Great sourse of fiber, b-6, and omega 3 fatty acids! Its greatest advantage over the chia seed, it has vitamins!

CONS-

Acquired taste! If you grew up eating american food, you WILL face an adjustment eating these. However, the health benefits out weigh the taste.

Not good to soak, like chia! While the seeds do swell at a 3-1 ratio, they aren’t really that good for adding to desserts or things of that nature. Should stick to this in breads, crackers, and raw.

Interesting facts:

If you do eat these raw, you need to chew them up very finely. The shells really need to be broken down to receive the benefit.

Glutten free

Recipe:

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup chia seeds

1 cup juice, I prefer home made

Combine in a bowl, mix well. Place on wax paper lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven on 350 for 15 mins. Made a nice sweet cracker, but this recipe is easy to experiment with. Add garlic and salt while replacing the juice with water. The key is using the flax and chia like concrete to hold the food together.

Best place to buy:

Walmart again! Bob’s Red Mill is the cheapest again!