Author: Big Mama

A quick lesson from the weekend

I had plans to write about our weekend and my coaching experience but I have a little girl that just informed me that she needs her mama because she had a really bad day and could “use some snuggles”.

And that takes precedence.

But I will share one quick thing I learned this weekend.

It may seem like a good idea to let two little yahoos eat cotton candy in a bag in your bed while they watch a movie, but it’s not.

Actually I knew it wasn’t a good idea at the time but I’m a sucker.

A sucker who had to change the sheets before I went to bed Saturday night.

On a totally different note, a group of Compassion bloggers are in El Salvador this week. I especially loved this post by Molly Piper yesterday.
If only I could makeup my mind

I headed to the mall on Friday armed with a limited amount of makeup knowledge and a Route 44 Diet Cherry Limeade from Sonic. I hadn’t really planned to make a stop at Sonic first, but that morning Caroline asked me if I’d come eat lunch with her at school and could I please bring her a Wacky Pack with a side of mozzarella sticks? And how do I say no to that?

Especially when I know that she won’t eat all her tots or the mozzarella sticks and I can eat whatever is left over with no caloric consequences because every mama knows that the food you eat off your child’s plate doesn’t count towards any official calories.

So I experienced all the entertainment and mouths full of missing teeth that the elementary school cafeteria has to offer and then grabbed my Cherry Limeade (and maybe a mozzarella stick) and left for the mall. Since Caroline eats lunch at 10:40 (absurd) I still had plenty of time to conduct my makeup research.

Here’s what I ended up with:

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

I walked into Sephora already totally biased towards this product, mainly because Gulley loves it and I totally trust her opinion on these sorts of things. Plus, it got a lot of shout outs in the comments.

I’d like to say that I’ve already used it and gotten countless compliments on my glowing complexion, but when you spend all weekend coaching soccer and laying on the couch in attempts to recover from aforementioned coaching experience, makeup doesn’t really seem necessary.

But I loved it when I tried it in the store and the nude shade is perfect for my skin tone.

2. Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna

Nars has a blush that people rave about (I’m not going to mention it by name because, MY WORD, at the google searches it would generate). Anyway, I tried it but felt like it looked too pinkish for my skin. I don’t really enjoy a pinkish hue as much as I like to look as if I just returned from a long weekend at some tropical resort.

Even though if I’d just returned from a tropical resort I’d still be pale because Mamaw would wear her SPF 75 and oversized sunhat the entire time.

So this is like I’ve been to the tropics and live in a world where a little bit of sun exposure doesn’t come with ugly consequences like basal cell carcinoma and brown sun spots.

3. Cargo Blu-Ray High Definition Mattifier

A reader named Sara emailed me about a year ago and told me about this product. I’ll admit I was hesitant to buy it because I generally believe that any sort of makeup primers are just a big scam to get you to spend more money.

But on Friday I purchased my second tube of it because it absolutely makes a difference in how my skin looks. It evens out fine lines and covers your pores so your skin looks smoother even before you put on any kind of foundation. Or maybe I’m just seeing something I want to see and it’s just a placebo effect. Either way works for me.

4. Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette

I wasn’t really looking for eyeshadow but I was walking through Macy’s after I left Sephora for other non-makeup related errands when the girl at the Benefit counter called me over and asked if she could do my eye makeup. It’s like she had a window into my soul.

And so of course I said yes because I am committed to the research. Next thing I knew she’d made my eyes pop and sparkle and highlighted my brows and she’d done it all with just this little palette of eye makeup.

What really sold me was when she showed me how I could use it to give myself a natural eye or a smoky eye depending on the occasion. Granted, I haven’t worn a smoky eye since I inadvertently got a little carried away with my Merle Norman palette of blues and purples back in 7th grade when I tried to match my eyes to my blue Izod shirt. But you never know when I might decide I want to sport a smoky eye at a PTO meeting or for a trip to HEB.

So those were my four purchases of the day. I still need a good eyeliner but couldn’t make a decision and, truth be told, I was actually pretty happy with my Revlon ColorStay eyeliner before I got overzealous and broke it in half the other day.

And the girl at Sephora and the one at Macy’s both tried to sell me on new mascara, but I’m a big fan of CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara. The price is right, I love the brush, and it doesn’t clump when I put it on. I’m sure I’d love DiorShow or one of those fancy battery-operated ones if I tried them, but since my family likes to eat and Santa Claus needs to show up next month I’m going with the whole ignorance is bliss thing.

I also neglected to buy any sort of lipstick because I have approximately 84 tubes of various lip products floating around in the bottom of my makeup bag and countless others that I carry in a Ziploc sandwich bag in my purse. Gulley made fun of me for the Ziploc bag a while back and I tried to explain that it’s because I travel and need the Ziploc bag to get through security. Of course since I hadn’t been on a plane in about a month at the time, my explanation didn’t hold a lot of weight. What’s closer to the truth is that I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to move all my lipgloss from the ultra classy Ziploc to a fabric makeup bag because can you even imagine the amount of energy and time that would take? How would I ever get those 30 seconds back?

Anyway, in the interest of knowledge and frugality, I’ll share with you that I’m a huge fan of CoverGirl Lipslicks in Daring. It’s a great color and it’s cheap. I own no less than six tubes of it because I keep losing them and finding them again. It’s my prodigal lipcolor.

And there you have it. I realize on the scale of boring to moderately interesting that this entire post would fail to register, but y’all were so helpful with all your suggestions that I felt like you deserved to know how it all turned out.

You should also know that the downside to makeup experimentation is that my face is breaking out like I’m a thirteen year old with a mouth full of chocolate and braces.

Of course it could also just be PMS.

But I believe it’s directly related to having my face covered with more makeup in a two-hour time frame than it usually sees in a week.

Unless I get all dolled up to deliver Sonic at 10:40 a.m. to the school cafeteria.
Edition 73: Fashion Friday

A few weeks ago my friend Steph and I had plans to go shop at the outlet mall in San Marcos. But then the day before we were supposed to go I came down with a cold/sinus issues/allergies/black plague and I knew I wouldn’t have the stamina to endure the marathon that is outlet shopping, so we rescheduled for yesterday.

On Tuesday I received a text message from Steph that read “Torn between two lovers. The semi-annual sale starts at Nordys on Wednesday. Should we go there or to the outlet malls?”

I don’t know. What’s more important, my left arm or my left leg?

Ultimately we decided to shop the Nordstrom sale because it only happens twice a year, plus the cafe upstairs serves those thin little french fries with the kalamata aioli dipping sauce.

My original plan was to take pictures of all the cute stuff we saw as we shopped. But you know what’s useful when you make that type of plan?

If you remember to actually take your camera out of your purse and use it. I cannot tell you how sorry I am, especially because that plan would have been so much simpler than trying to recreate all that I saw using only the internet.

But I’ll do my best.

Also, did you know that there is a Zara store at La Cantera? I originally heard about Zara at a Deeper Still conference when Beth and Priscilla mentioned on stage that they liked to shop there on occasion, but had never experienced one for myself until yesterday when I discovered that there is an ENTIRE SECTION of The Shops at La Cantera that I never knew existed. The only excuse for this oversight is that it’s located beyond the Food Court and I guess I get distracted once I see Chick-fil-A.

Anyway, here are a few things I thought were cute.

(By the way, Zara did have some really cute, very affordable things, but they don’t have a shoppable website)

(Is shoppable a word?)

1. Gumshoe Sweatercoat

I hate to do this to you because all I’m doing is causing you to join in my deep longing. If this isn’t one of the cutest sweatercoats you’ve ever seen, I’ll eat my hat.

Unfortunately, if I brought this coat home with me it would be all I’d have left to keep me warm at night. P wouldn’t understand the way the ruffles whispered my name and caused me to lose my sense of restraint and cost-appropriateness.

2. Ambition Corduroy Blazer

I didn’t buy one of these because I’m not in the market for a new blazer. Also, I’m a little afraid of the term “blazer”.

However, this is a really great jacket and even better in person than in the picture. Plus it comes in some great colors.

3. Naughty Monkey ‘Ring Maestro’ Boot

I love the detail of these boots. I love the color. I love the wedge heel that makes them so versatile.

But, let’s be honest, what really sold me was the name brand. I’d like to buy them just so I could make references to my naughty monkeys and cause people to wonder if I have a side job raising spider monkeys in my backyard.

Of course I guess a side job would require me to have a real job first.

4. Daytrip Plaid Coat

When Gulley and I were in college, the Diamond Darlings held a garage sale to raise money. I kid you not that we sold an old coat of Nena’s that looked EXACTLY like this one and oh did we laugh and mock and use the word “groovy” and other insults circa 1970’s.

But now I kind of wish we had the original.

5. Cable-knit Hooded Sweater Dress

In the interest of full disclosure I have to confess that I didn’t actually see this yesterday because we didn’t go in Old Navy. As far as I know, there isn’t an Old Navy in La Cantera unless I’m missing out on a whole other section of the mall. Which we now know is entirely possible.

Anyway, I’m including this hooded sweater dress because the number one fashion-related question I get in my email inbox is some version of “What’s a good alternative to the sweatsuit?” or in other words, “How can I walk around in my pajamas without looking like I’m in my pajamas?”

Steph and I pondered this question yesterday and ultimately decided that there really isn’t a good alternative for the sweatsuit. I mean, sure, you can run around in your velour sweatpants (guilty!) or your yoga pants (guilty again!) but you can only make those things look so cute. There is a cuteness threshold.

However, I think that you could easily pair a sweater/jersey/cotton type tunic/dress with leggings and either flats, sneakers or boots and have yourself a presentable look that would provide the comfort of a sweatsuit. Maybe I’m delusional, but I thought I’d throw it out there.

And on that note, I’m wrapping it up.

I realize I only featured five items today but that’s because that number coincides with the time I was rudely awakened this morning by a child who has the morning sensibilities of an overeager rooster. I need some sleep.

And to save some money for blackout shades for Caroline’s bedroom.

And to get my playbook ready for my solo coaching effort on Saturday since I don’t know anything and there is no rain in the forecast.

Y’all have a great Friday.

For more Fashion Friday, you can click over to Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife where she’s discussing the trends she doesn’t get and I definitely agree with her on some of them.
I don’t know much

It’s a shame y’all don’t have any opinions about makeup.

All I can say is if you have an hour or two to spare, the comments on yesterday’s post are SOLID GOLD. I don’t even know where to begin but I adore all the input. If I were Estee Lauder I would invite you all to my home in the Hamptons so we could discuss the pros and cons of various products all weekend long. Of course since Estee has gone to that big cosmetics counter in the sky, I guess I’d prefer to be her granddaughter, Aerin. My only regret is that I didn’t ask everyone to state their skin type so I’d know all the various skin issues represented. Live and learn. As Max Factor used to say, “The beauty business is tricky”.

(I have no idea if there was actually ever anyone named Max Factor or if he said that, but it sounds good.)

Last night I took the time to read each and every comment. I made copious notes. I clicked on links. I ate three small bags of M&M’s from the Halloween candy bag. I read reviews on websites.

It turns out that many, MANY, of you are big fans of Bare Escentuals. It was the hands down winner for the most shout outs.

I actually used Bare Escentuals for about a year and liked it. The problem is that I have dry skin. The kind of skin that would make the Sahara desert feel like a tropical rainforest. I ultimately decided that the Bare Escentuals products weren’t the right fit for my skin, although they did provide great coverage and I loved that it felt as if I weren’t wearing any makeup at all.

The bottom line is I’m planning to spend most of my Friday morning at Sephora. It’s all in the name of research. Selfless research. I kind of have an idea about some of the products I’m interested in but I’ll provide a full report on Monday.

In other news, the mighty Rainbows have their last game on Saturday and I’ll be coaching solo since P has some hunting obligations to fulfill down in South Texas. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing until Caroline let me know her thoughts on the way to soccer practice yesterday.

Thoughts on Soccer from Big Mama on Vimeo.

I guess we’ve officially passed the stage where she thinks I know everything. If we ever went through that stage to begin with.

The important thing is I’ll be able to tell her all about the best products to have in your makeup bag and that’s SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT AND LIFE-CHANGING than the difference between a corner kick and a goal kick.

The winner of the Tiny Prints giveaway is posted over on my giveaway page. Make sure you click over and check it out. There’s also a special offer for those of you who entered and didn’t win. Oh I do love a consolation prize.
Because there’s no such thing as natural beauty

I have a group of girlfriends that have gotten together once a month for dinner for the last three and a half years. We call ourselves Birthday Club, even though there are only 6 of us so, as our husbands like to point out, the math doesn’t really add up. But we are like the government and don’t allow arbitrary numbers to stand in the way of what we want. Not to mention, it’s not like we’re going out 1.2 trillion times a year because that would be an excessive number.

Anyway, last night was Birthday Club. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that we met at Chuy’s because why, oh why, are we going to a chain Mexican restaurant when we live in the Mexican food capital of the world? Actually, Mexico is probably the Mexican food capital of the world but they have an advantage because if you’re visiting Mexico then technically you’re eating Mexican food even if you’re eating a cheeseburger and fries.

But we went to Chuy’s because it’s a fairly convenient location, they have excellent queso and some jalapeno ranch dip that is totally worth all the 30 Day Shred workouts that it will take to work it off.

We covered our usual array of topics in no particular order: Shopping, marriage, kids, shopping, reality television and life in general. However there was one question that I meant to ask and I completely forgot all about it once I got there and got engrossed in the fact that one of them had just bought the cutest jacket from a boutique located inside a carwash. Needless to say, my car is getting washed later today.

Okay, back to the point. In the last two days I have run out of all my makeup essentials. My tinted moisturizer is almost empty, I used the last of my bronzer getting ready last night, and my eyeliner broke in half and cannot be salvaged. In what is an unprecedented circumstance, my entire makeup bag is in need of an overhaul. Sure I could just go out and buy the same stuff I had before, but what if I’m missing out on something great?

I don’t want to spend my life wrapped in a Neutrogena tinted moisturizer bubble and miss out on a blessing that could cover my uneven complexion and make me appear fresh faced and impossibly dewy. (I really don’t like the word dewy, but I’m keeping it there because I can’t think of a better word right now)

So before I just run off to the drugstore or the department store or Sephora all willy nilly, I’d love to know what makeup products you use and love. Like the ones you truly love. I don’t want to know about the lipstick that you kind of like but could live without or the mascara that’s just okay. I want to know the products you can’t live without. The ones you will buy over and over again because they are worth the money.

I will anxiously await your input, but in the meantime I’m planning on staying home all day and avoiding mirrors because the world isn’t ready to see my winter skin without a little bit of bronzer.
The non-caped crusader

So we had a little excitement on Halloween that I failed to mention yesterday. And by failed to mention, I mean that I was coming down from my massive forty-eight hour sugar high and way too tired to find all the words. If you visit here on a regular basis then you know that finding the words isn’t usually much of an issue.

Whether or not they are words worthy of five minutes of your life is debatable.

Saturday morning started with yet another mighty Rainbows soccer game. As we near the end of the season we are so proud that our team has really come together and embraced all that is good and true about playing soccer, as evidenced by the fact that they are all highly concerned about whose mom is bringing snacks to the game and what the aforementioned snacks will be and when, OH WHEN, can they eat the snacks? How long, O Lord, until snack time? HOW LONG?

We came home after the game with big plans to spend the day doing absolutely nothing but resting up for a big night of trick-or-treating. It was a gorgeous fall day so I spread out a blanket in the backyard and prepared to spend a leisurely afternoon perusing the vast quantity of Christmas catalogs that arrived in the mail that day because heaven forbid we get even one day of rest between holidays before we are bombarded with reminders that time is running out to get ready for the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.

While I looked at the catalogs, Caroline was busy serving fake tea to Scout and Bruiser and P was attempting to make a homemade windshield for his Polaris out of plexiglass.

On a side note, I do not have a good feeling about the stability of this homemade windshield and if I could ask Santa for just one thing this year it would be to witness the moment that the plexiglass windshield falls apart and the ensuing non-Sunday school words that will come out of P’s mouth as it shatters on a ranch road somewhere in South Texas. That may seem like a twisted wish, but even P knows that there is nothing that brings me more delight than seeing him on a tirade about any sort of mechanical failure. It’s a sickness.

I’d just stumbled upon a page in the Garnet Hill catalog that featured this darling Buckets of Joy Advent Calendar and decided that I would recreate that crafty idea all by myself. I was ready to declare it Christmas Project ’09. However, when I showed it to P so he could admire all its cuteness and my thriftiness in declaring it Christmas Project ’09 instead of just buying it from the catalog, he totally killed my Martha buzz by asking, “Where on earth do you think we have room to hang 25 buckets in our house?”

“They’re not buckets. They’re tiny pails.”

“Ok. Where do we have room to hang 25 tiny pails in our house?”

Christmas Project ’09 was dead on arrival. Probably much like a homemade plexiglass windshield.

Anyway, I’d just found the tiny pails of Christmas joy when the phone rang. It was my sister and I could tell when I heard her voice that something was wrong. She said, “I don’t want you to freak out, but Mimi and Bops were just in a wreck on the way to our house.” My heart stopped for about three minutes until I was able to get Bops on the phone and hear that everything seemed to be okay even though they were taking Mimi to the hospital just to be on the safe side.

Apparently, they were heading down the street and a car didn’t feel the need to yield to oncoming traffic so it swerved around the car in front of it that was yielding and hit the passenger side of my dad’s car. And then, AND THEN, tried to speed away from the scene of the accident.

But what Mr. Hit and Run didn’t realize was that he’d just rammed into the Texas roadway equivalent of Batman. My dad had the presence of mind to block the driver’s getaway attempt and force him to turn into the closest parking lot where he was trapped like a rat. A dirty rat.

Mimi and Bops actually made it to our house in time to do some trick-or-treating later that night and didn’t seem too much worse for the wear. Of course it probably helped that I poured them each a glass of wine in a plastic cup to drink as we walked door to door. It was purely for medicinal purposes.

Because nobody ever said it was easy to be Batman. Or his sidekick.

Even on Halloween.