Two-Days after Halloween Shopping!

Today on my break between shows, I decided to run over to Joann Fabrics to try and snag a deal on some Halloween decorations. It is one of my favorite holidays, after all, and my decorations are currently quite sparse. I ended up getting two things at an incredibly steal. The first was this awesome wall sign. Depending on where we're living next year, I may hang it on our door or somewhere inside on the wall. It doesn't really show in the photo, but the frame is distressed and the "Beware!" is actually printed on screen that sits at the front of the frame. The corner stencils are then on the wood at the back of the frame. I knew I wanted a sign/door hanger of some sort, but I wasn't finding anything I really loved, until I stumbled on this. It was also the only one of its kind left. Full price for it was $29.99. I got it for only $6.26, which was even less than I thought it was going to be.

Cutest salt and pepper shaker EVER.

I also scooped up these adorable salt and pepper shakers. Not at all something I was looking for, but they were just so super cute that I couldn't pass them up. They were also a total bargain at $2.09, marked down from $9.99 (which I happily would have paid because they're so cute). I thought for a moment about saving them for Mum's birthday next year, but then I knew I couldn't give them away.

The most delicious leaf you'll ever come across.

Now that I'm home, I'm enjoying a delightful cup of my Trader Joe's Harvest Blend Tea (which is my favorite decaf tea right now) while munching on a Halloween cookie and lathering my hands in my Trader Joe's Pumpkin Body Butter. I ended up making two batches of sugar cookies for Halloween (same recipe I use for all the holidays, especially Christmas, see the recipe here). I used three of the cookie cutters from my Year of Cookie Cutters- the leaf (pictured), the pumpkin, and the apple. I made two batches so that Mike and I could eat some, cause you just can't make cookies and not eat some, and so that I'd have enough to also take some to work. They were a HUGE hit at work. I think they all disappeared before the show even started. Nick, in particular, couldn't say enough good things about them.

I also wanted to show off my new skirt. Mike and I went to Savers when we were out and about on Monday. We both picked up some dressier clothes. This skirt was one of the things I got. In addition to being super cute, it is also super comfy. Definitely a good find.

Hope you're enjoying your fall and resisting many store's attempts to shove Christmas on us already. (Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, but you can't start celebrating it until after Thanksgiving. This after Halloween stuff is nonsense.)

Birthday Beauty Haul and my first ever Beauty Video!

My birthday (October 19th) coincided with tech week of the first show I've Production Stage Managed in a very long time, so to say I didn't have time to blog about my birthday is an understatement. Despite being super busy, I did have a lovely birthday. I had Monday off and ended up doing a bunch of shopping, both for myself with my birthday money but also shopping for Thomas and Mum's birthday. Between my birthday box and the things I bought for myself, I got A LOT of beauty stuff that I'm very excited about. In fact, there is so much of it, that I decided to do my first every beauty video to talk about it. I'll still include links for everything I got, but I figured it might be more fun to film my thoughts rather than type them all out.

I do have to apologize a little for the video. On the one hand, I was pleasantly surprised at how crisp a video my phone took, so yay for that. On the other hand, my light source (also known as the sliding door) washed out a lot of things. I look rather more pale than I actually am and whenever I try and show things properly to the camera or swatches on my hand, they're not easy to see. I figured it was still worth uploading since not only was it 15 minutes of my time, but also because despite not being able to see the swatches, you can still hear me gush about everything and you can see pretty much everything, just when I set it on the table and not when I'm showing it off. I'm also putting the links for everything below, so you can see the proper colors that way as well.

Without further ado, here is my Birthday Beauty Haul! [Side note: uploading a 16 minute video to YouTube from your phone takes a really, long time. It's been over an hour and I'm only at 57%. Another note- I apparently should have filmed it in landscape because doing it portrait made it very small.]

Clinique (Bonus Gift and otherwise):
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion +
Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator
Lash Double Mascara
Clinique Foundation- This is a powder shadow that I have no idea what it's called and all it says on the pot is Clinique Foundation. So...no link.
Chubby Stick in 04 Mega Melon and 16 Voluptuous Violet
All About Shadow Quad (special bonus gift editions- you can find the colors individually here):
     Violets with Angel Eyes (Super Shimmer), Lavender Out Loud (Soft Shimmer), Purple
          Pumps (Stay Matte), and Graphite (Super Shimmer)
     Neutrals with French Vanilla (Stay Matte), Peach Pop (Soft Shimmer), At Dusk (Super Shimmer),
          Olive in My Martini (Super Shimmer)

Benefit Gift:
They're Real! Mascara
Watt's Up!

Other Beauty Products:
Sephora Collection Nail Lacquer in L18 Money Maker (I checked, this is what it's called!)
Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in No 72 Movie Popcorn
Physician's Formula Powder Pallette Mineral Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl
Maybelline Great Lash in Teal Appeal and Green with Envy (limited edition, so no link)
Tilt lip gloss in Strawberry (no link for this either, sorry!)

There are a few things I forgot to include in the video. The first was the boots the I mentioned at the end. They are these boots from Payless I got.

My new favorite boots.

I bought them with the money that Bamma (my grandma on my Mother's side) got me for my birthday. I've worn them a couple times and I really love them. I'm so glad I got them. They're sort of like my steel toed work boots done stage manager style.

Another thing that came in the box I almost forgot about was this sweater from Mum!

I love my new sweater! (This isn't me if you were confused, this is the stock AE photo.)

I think I've already worn it like three times. It's super comfy and just a little dressy, which is fantastic.

Maureen (Mike's mom) got me a gift card to Adagio Teas which was awesome. Just after I finished filming my birthday haul video, the package arrived in the mail. Which was actually pretty crazy considering I just ordered it yesterday. Did I mention how much I love Adagio?

So much god tea.

I got the ingenuiTEA which is this awesome cup thing that you pour your hot water and tea into. You let it seep, then you set it on top of your mug and it filters the tea right in. It's much less hassle than the tea ball I've been using and gives the tea more space to seep in which results in a better cup of tea. I can't wait to start using it. For tea, I got two flavored black teas: candy cane and christmas. They seem like really fun holiday teas, and I think Mike might actually like them too (or at least I hope so). The pumpkin spice tea in its adorable tin was free. That's right, free! They had a promotion where if you spend a certain amount, they'd throw it in at no extra cost, so of course I made sure I spent that much. I also got a free sample of the formosa oolong which is a high quality tea I've been wanting to try.

I have to say, all in all, it was a really fantastic birthday.

Oh, and I almost forgot! We have a new member of the family. Meet Jack. I went and picked him out at the Lowell Humane Society yesterday (which was Mike's birthday) but he's technically my birthday present. :)

Styling Short Hair: Everyday and a Pinterest Inspired Up-do

Since I cut my hair, I've been having fun experimenting with how to style my new 'do. It is short enough that some of my old standbys- pony tail, half up in a claw, twisted bun- just aren't options. However, I do love that to get my hair out of my face, all it takes is three bobby pins. I have two everyday routines, one for the days I was my hair and one for the days I don't.

When I have freshly washed hair, I massage some 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel into my scalp and roots to keep my scalp moisturized and give my roots a little volume. Then I scrunch more into the ends of my hair to help it hold its bit of natural wave. Some days, I just stop here. Once it dries is somewhat holds its shape but doesn't look like it has anything in it.

If I want my hair to have a bit more of a styled look, I scrunch in one of these two products-
Royal Spa Structure Gel or Tresamme Flawless Curls Mousse. The resulting look is very similar either way, so it kind of just depends on my mood as to which one I use.

On second hair days, I always put a little dry shampoo in my hair at the roots, mainly in the front. If I'm just going to pin it back, I run my fingers through it and call it good. To get a bit more mussed up look and freshen it up, I'll wet my hands and run it through my hair, and then scrunch in some Aloe Vera Gel. To make it a bit more piece-y, sometimes I'll also work a bit of my homemade pomade (equal parts grape seed oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax) into the ends.

Up-do from the front.

Last weekend I got ambitious and decided to try a short hair up-do I saw on Pinterest. The basic principle is that you pin your hair back and into a bit of a bun shape, despite not having enough hair to make a proper bun. I'd link the pin, but it seems to go to the wrong link now. Anyways, here are the photos.

View from the back and above.

First photo is the front view. Everything was just twisted to the back. Second photo is of the back. I had a really hard time getting a good photo of the back, but this one somewhat shows you what it looked like. It was sort of a lot of little twists pinned in a generally circular fashion. It certainly makes it look like you have a lot more hair than you do, which is kind of fun. I don't know that I'd do this a lot, but it is certainly nice to have in the arsenal for a more put-together look.

Tonight, Mike and I are going to the first show/gala for Rancho Mirage at New Rep, which is the show that he just Assistant Sound Designed. Time permitting, I'm going to try and curl my hair a bit and see what that does. Assuming I do it and it works out well, I'll post a picture or two.

Outfit of the Day and Trader Joe's Haul

You get two pictures of today's outfit- one of me all bundled up and one of me as I was at rehearsal. Color didn't come out spectacularly, but there you have it.

Fall calls for fun outdoor wear.

My phone is my pop of color.

Purple and black plaid shirt, black leggings: Forever 21

Jean cut-off shorts: American Eagle (via Lilly's closet)

Blue boots: Payless

Grey and black coat: Ross

Tan sparkly scarf, grey hat: I do not remember where I got these.

It wasn't the most glamorous outfit, but it I always feel kind of artsy whenever I wear shorts over leggings plus plaid.

Rehearsal today was nice and short, so I had a chance to run to Trader Joe's after, which made me super happy. There were a few things I knew I wanted to get, but I definitely impulse bought a bunch of things. One of the impulse buys were popcorn is flavored with brown butter, parsley, thyme, and lemon seasoning. Can you say yum?! Mike thinks it sounds horrible, but it is actually delightful. And then another were these "this pumpkin walks into a bar" cereal bars. I like having cereal bars as a morning snack, and I can't imagine a filling better than pumpkin.

The next three items were mostly planned. I saw on someone else's blog that Trader Joe's had a Harvest Blend Tea and Pumpkin Spice Chai. I love their Christmas seasonal teas so I was excited to try their fall blend. And pumpkin spice chai? Two of my all time favorite things in one lovely canister. And then what's fall without some spiced cider? I haven't tried any of these yet, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

The last two things I got weren't consumable, but I'm just as excited about them. I've been wanting to try this moisturizer from Trader Joe's for a while. It has SPF 15, is fragrance free, non comedogenic, and lots of other good things. Since I was there and the one I normally use is running out, I scooped it up. I also got this AMAZING Pumpkin Body Butter. The smell is incredibly delightful. It's been on my hands for over an hour now and they still smell like a freshly brewed cup of my pumpkin spice tea. And, as a bonus, it isn't greasy when it goes on either, like some other hand creams and body butters.

You know what the best part is? All of this was ridiculously well priced. The most expensive thing was the body butter, and that was only $4.99!

Update: I was curious so I went and priced out other body butters, because I knew that $4.99 for 8 oz. was good, but I didn't know how good. For comparison- Bath and Body Works is $15.00 for 7 oz. and Bubble and Bee is $24.95 for 8 oz. And, yes, the Bubble and Bee is organic, but the Trader Joe's body butter is cruetly free, vegan, paraben free and has very few chemically things in it's ingredient list, which pretty much covers the important things. I'm honestly thinking of going and getting another one before they run out!

Sephora Birthday Gift

I got a postcard in the mail yesterday reminding me to pick up my birthday gift from Sephora. I got super, duper excited because it's two awesome gifts from Benefit.

They're Real Mascara and Watt's Up Highlighter

Mascara and highlighter!?! I am so crazy excited. I really need to start thinking about what I'm going to buy so I can get the gift. :)

The mail also brought two items I'd order a week or two ago. An awesome faux leather wrap bracelet and a 10ft USB to mini-USB cord that's delightfully lime green. The USB cord is now hanging out by my desk so that I can have more leeway when I'm charging my phone in the living room. The watch I've been wearing to work ever since it came in. It may be my new favorite watch.

This watch, but in black.

That's all for now. I should eat. Mike just pulled cinnamon rolls out of the oven. :)

Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Bars with Chocolate Chips

I don't know about you, but Quaker Oats granola bars are never enough to fill me up. Then I remembered these "breakfast bars" that Mum used to make. They weren't particularly delicious as they were very bran-y and had apricots in them, but the core concept was good. I browsed around on the web for a bit and finally found a recipe that would work as good base. I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter, so I decided to substitute pumpkin instead and make it more seasonal.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Bars with Chocolate Chips
2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cooling so that I can get them out of the pan without burning myself.

1 tsp baking powder
~1 tsp cinnamon
~1/2 tsp nutmeg
~1/4 tsp cloves
~1/4 tsp all-spice
~1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1) Combine all dry ingredients (oats through ginger). My measurements for the spices are approximate as I just added bit by bit until it smelled and looked right. You could add more or less according to your personal preference.

2) Beat together pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add egg. Whisk in milk. Stir in vanilla.

3) Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (saving some of the finest chopped ones to sprinkle on top).

4) Pour into two greased 4 1/2 inch by 8 1/2 inch loaf pans (or if you only have one loaf pan like me, into one loaf pan and another 1.5 qt baking dish). Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.

5) Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Turn onto cooling racks to cool. Once cool, cut into bars (8 per loaf). Store in fridge.

So they just cooled enough for me to cut them and taste one. They are quite delicious. Not quite as pumpkin-y as they could be, but quite good ad much better than a store bought granola bar. You can bet I will be having these for a morning snack for the rest of the week!

Post-Show Haul

One fun thing about working in theatre is getting to see lots of different styles of clothing. For a while, I was stuck in the 20s, as I did a series of shows in that period. This last show I did, Seminar, was contemporary. The costume design concept was upscale hipster, which meant that I pretty much loved all the clothes.

For example: I love Liz's whole outfit in this photo, especially her blue and white polka dot button-up shirt.

(l to r) Liz Hayes*, Christopher Tarjan*, Jordan Ahnquist*, and Jesse Hinson*
* Denotes Member of Actors' Equity Association, Photo Credit: David Costa

All of Sophorl's clothes were to die for and she looked amazing in all of them. Case in point, this ensemble:

Sophorl Ngin, Photo Credit: David Costa

One thing that Stoneham Theatre, at least, will do is let the actors buy back any costume pieces they want at the end of the show, so long as the costume designer and production manager don't think that it's an item that should be kept in the costume stock for future shows. Because this show had fairly run of the mill modern clothing, it was pretty much all up for grabs. Jesse and Sophorl both bought some of their clothes (including those "leather" leggings!); I got in the action and bought a few items as well.

One thing I knew I wanted was Liz's grey, printed tube scarf. It's from H&M, but because it was used in the show, I got to buy it back for half price ($5).

One can never have too many scarves.

Another item I bought that was in the show was Sophorl's knit, lime green hat, originally from H&M. Sure, I could probably make a hat like this as it is a fairly simple pattern, but, again, at half price ($3), it was quite the bargain. [I couldn't find a link for the hat (I suspect she got it on clearance) or a professional photo, so you get one of me instead.]

My new favorite pop of color.

The final item I bought didn't make the cut for the show. It was a purse for Sophorl, but it got replaced by a tribal, fringy one that better fit her character. Her bag was one of the other things that Sophorl bought. Anyways, the bag I bought is a Mossimo Supply Co bag from Target. Because it hadn't gotten used and could potentially be returned, I had to pay full price for it ($20), which was honestly still quite reasonable. I mean, I could have just gone to Target and picked out a bag, but buying it from the theatre was so much more convenient, and hey, I really like the bag! It's a lot like a brown one I had from Charlotte Russe that just recently died, except that this one is black whereas the old one was brown. I'd been looking for a black bag that was interesting enough for everyday but that was also simple enough to be "professional" for job interview, etc. I also really like that the strap can be short to use as an over the shoulder bag, or lengthened to be a cross body strap.

Great utilitarian bag that I can dress up or dress down.

There were so many other things from the show that I considered buying, but none of the clothes fit quite right, so I couldn't really justify a bigger shopping spree from the Seminar closet. In any case, I'm super excited to start wearing/using the three things I did get.