Baptizing the new house with liquor is a great idea! Much better than dirty laundry.

Paging smonster!! Can you, as the Queen of Recycling, give me an idea on recycling an old, old, old piano?

Yeah, it is super easy to get locks rekeyed and it is a security must.

You should give it to me! What kind of piano? Does it still play? If so, someone on freecycle or craigslist will probably happily take it off your hands.

OK, it cost me $230 for 7 locks, so a little over $30/lock. Plus the guy adjusted the sticky door, but that was gratis. And when he found out it was just me, gave me a bunch of security signs to put up because he has a daughter a few years younger than me. But I'm pretty sure I wasn't paying for that;)

Thanks for the lovely comments about the photo of the Bboy and me yesterday. It has become my all time favorite!

My post-birthday, I'm 50 and probably should start wearing make-up adventure today did not go so well.

I visited two Macy's Benefit counters but could not find anyone to help me. Lost sales, people! What is up with that?

Eventually, a very energetic young lady at Sephora helped me to explore the Eye Bright pencil, an ohmygodareyoukiddingmely expensive tinted moisturizer (Luara Mercier), the Black Honey lipstick (and semi-lipstick...Clinque) smonster recommended, and a liquid concealer (Dior). I wasn't confident with any of them, sadly.

I also looked at the Basic Minerals kits...which felt somehow comforting. They have the step by step application description like Beverly's good advice a couple of days ago. But, while the paint by numbers aspect is nice, I fear the one-size fits all colors would not do for my super pale complexion.

Lipstick just doesn't stay on, the moisturizer felt odd and didn't make enough of a difference to seem worth it and the concealer didn't actually conceal. I fear that it will require me to either go with the less than natural look or give it up.

Sigh. I feel so talentless with this stuff!!!

I also looked at the Basic Minerals kits...which felt somehow comforting. They have the step by step application description like Beverly's good advice a couple of days ago. But, while the paint by numbers aspect is nice, I fear the one-size fits all colors would not do for my super pale complexion.

I'll be honest that the Bare Minerals never worked with my skin tones. If you want to play with mineral makeup in sheeeeeeeeeeer but effective powders, try Aromaleigh. Massive numbers of colors and samples are $1 a piece (actually foundations might be $2, shadows are $1) so you can try, try, try. And if you just order samples, there is no shipping charge at all. I adore them. And it's really the first time I've had makeup that works on my skin without fuss.

eta to add link and spell the company correctly.

Also, bonny, you might want to try a dryer lipstick than a sheer gloss. Maybe a lipliner pencil to help the color stay where it's put, and then fill in with regular lipstick? I fail so hard at lipstick. I cleared mine out before we moved, and I just counted last week and I have twelve. Two of which I can wear alone, and there may be a half-shade difference between them. The rest are reds and shimmery pinks and beiges that I can't wear alone--too bright or too pale. So I combine them...to make the same peachy taupey beige as the two I do wear alone. I am wed to this shade of lip color.

Oh good call on christening with booze and not laundry, meara. And good luck finding a fast, good locksmith. H changed our locks himself, but it's a much older house. We just bought and installed new locks.

Cass, I ordered a bunch of samples, which cost less than the lipstick I now need to return.

I had such high hopes for it, but it did not last. It ended up looking like a lip liner, missing from the middle of the lip. Much like my old gran used to look. Sigh.

Beverly, I'm feeling your frustration. I fail so hard at lipstick! I've been attempting the actual lipstick, vs. gloss but it just doesn't stay, nor have I found a color that works. Either too orange, to pink or just not right.

What I really need is someone with no financial stake to say, "Here, use this, it looks great on you."

I am wed to this shade of lip color.

Preach it. I stopped buying alternate colors. I have a liner and I have a lipstick (and a sheerer version of the same lipstick by the same company that was a limited time thing and I only have three spares) and that is what I wear. Sometimes I buy glosses and stuff. I don't know why. I wear MAC's Del Rio. This is my way.