How To Be A Perfect Lady

I was in the sixth grade.

 My parents felt like it would be a good idea to send my brothers and me to a private school.

They noticed the children of their clients and friends who were the most well-behaved and quizzed them on why they were so polite and sweet.

 The first thing I noticed at the private Christian school was how nice the other kids were.

They would say "Thank you," and "Excuse me," at the drop of a hat.

There was no fighting or bickering.

 It was culture shock from the public school, where I always felt on my guard.

 I didn't exactly fit in right away.

 For example, I dropped my pencil and two nice boys bent down to pick it up for me.

I pushed one of them over and kicked the other one's hand. "That's MY pencil!" I yelled.

 That's when I got to know Shirley. Everyone else called her Mrs. Leibolt, because she was the Principal.

 "I want to have lunch with you," she said, "In my office."

Mrs. Leibolt was a large lady, who wore pastel polyester knit suits and had a bouffant hair style that looked like pineapple flavored cotton candy. 

She ruled with an iron fist and took lip from NO ONE.

Rumor had it that she kept a paddle in her office and would spank kids really hard if they were particularly naughty.

I went to Shirley's office and sat down in front of her.

She sat behind her desk, clasped her hands and began talking to me.

She was so kind to me, it was a little jarring. Was I going to get a talking to, or worse, a beating?

Nope. Shirley looked at me and began, "Why did you get so angry at those boys?"

"Well," I said, "I dropped my pencil and I thought they were going to take it from me." 

"They were just trying to help you," Shirly said. "Yeah, I know that now, but I'm not used to kids being nice, and honestly if anyone messes with me, I'm going to punch them in the face."

Shirley got up from behind her desk. I looked at the paddle on the wall, then back at her.

I didn't even care if she was going to hit me. I was in self-defense mode.

She sat on the corner of the desk and said, "Ladies don't behave that way, and it's my desire for you to learn how to behave like a well-mannered, rule abiding young woman.

She told me that I wasn't in trouble, I just needed some guidance and she was just the person who was going to mold me. 

"Ok!" I said. Shirley and I had lunch three times a week until I understood what it was like to behave like a perfect lady.

Here were the names of my lessons, which, by the way, were delivered with love and compassion:

Ladies Do Not Bite Their Nails.

Ladies Do Not Get Into Fist Fights.

Ladies Do Not Wear Tube Tops To School.

Ladies Do Not Talk Back To The Teachers.

Ladies Do Not Swear.

Ladies Do Their Homework.

Ladies Are Polite and Say Please and Thank You.

Shirley was not my first mentor in the Lady Department, but certainly one of my favorites.

 My poor Mom and Dad really tried, but they could only do so much. 

For instance, I asked if I could take Gymnastics for an after school activity.

I got kicked out for fighting, so my parent's answer was to put me in karate classes. That way I could fight, you know, legally.

When I was about seven or eight years old, my Sunday School teacher called my Mom to tell her that they were trying to teach the kids about love and peace, and I beat a kid up.

 My Mom goes "Did he touch her food? because she REALLY hates when people touch her food."

I was a bit defensive for whatever reason and had some problems with managing my anger.

So, I sit her tonight, grateful to Shirley, for her love, compassion and belief that I could one day become a kind, loving and gentle person. One that behaves like a lady, and incidentally has blossomed into a full fledged Primp Queen.

Thank you, Mrs. Leibolt, wherever you are...

What's a Primp Queen?

Sometimes I get this question...

In fact my friend, we will call her Amazing Vonny, asked me if she was a Primp Queen.

 I was like "Absolutely you are!" And then she goes "How do you know?"

 I said, "Well, for starters, I've never seen you leave to go anywhere without first reapplying your lipstick."

This made me think of asking you all, are you a Primp Queen, too? 

The term is not even mine.

My friend Jenny made it up in college when we lived together.

We shared a dorm room with one sink and one tiny mirror.

We used to get ready at the same time and we'd elbow each other out of the way to get a look in the mirror.

There was no fighting, we didn't even mention it to each other.

 We'd just say, "EXCUSE Me," and elbows went flying. And that's when

Jenny smiled and said "We are such Primp Queens!"

She not only coined the name, she was one long before we met.

I found this out in the 7th grade after PE class when Loralee Gauss almost made me cry for making fun of my underwear and my dry and crackly legs.

Jenny overheard this teasing and out of nowhere a bottle of Johnson and Johson Baby Lotion made it's way to my hands.

 "You can keep that," she said smiling. "Just put this on every day and also there's nothing wrong with your underwear."

 Just to give you a visual, we were all changing our clothes and Jenny not only was the most beautiful girl in the room, she had on a fantastic matching set of navy blue lace bra and panties.

What a lifesaver she was!

This was the beginning of a phenomenal friendship that's lasted for decades.

I remember making a solomn vow, while sucking the tears back into my eyeballs to always have the most beautiful, silky, gorgeous panties on the planet and also to never be mean like Loralee Gauss.

A Primp Queen is more than just a love of beauty products.

It's a philosophy and an attitude.

And it has nothing to do with being a mean girl or judging others on their looks or choice of products.

It's about having fun with fashion and products and sharing the love of all things beautiful.

It's not just about beauty, either. Sometimes it's knowledge of survival strategies.

If, say, you get a surprise of "that time of the month" and you only have enough cash on you for tampons or chocolate.

You buy the chocolate and see which of your friends are packing and can spare a tampon out of their Freshness Pack.

Then once you can, you make up your own Freshness Pack, which is a very beautiful cosmetic bag that you pack with "Lady Emergency Freshness Essentials."

I worked in an office for many years with 99% women.

They all teased me about my Freshness Pack until they needed an Advil, tampons in various sizes, a mini pad or cleansing wipe. 

Another good "Tell" of a Primp Queen...This one again comes from Jenny. She texted this to me "I just spent $20 on an eye shadow that's the exact same color as my eye lids."

And then she texted me again right after, "I'm so excited!"

So, that's the short version of what makes a Primp Queen a Primp Queen.

Go ahead and leave a comment letting me and the rest of the world know if you are a Primp Queen and what makes you so. I hope you have an enjoyable day of freshness and beauty. :)

New Makeup!

Yesterday I was so excited and had my heart set on 2 new products...a lip gloss and a blush.

So I went to one of my beauty stores and saw all my peeps.

I told them what I was going to get and three of them surrounded me like I was a crazed lunatic and said "You don't want that" and they guided me to a different brand of blush.

"That one will make you break out, do you want to break out?!" They said to me. Loudly.

"No...I don't."

And they told me "You want Tarte," and I said "I do?" And they all said "Yes!" So I picked a color in Tarte and they just shook their heads at me.

"Ok! Tell me what color!!" I said.

I ended up getting Glisten. It's a very pretty pink color and the pigment is amazing. It keeps true all day long.

Then I thanked them and picked a certain brand of lipgloss.

Lots of harsh looks and head shaking on that end of the table again.

"You don't want that brand," they all said.

It was like I had my own personal beauty fairies!

They told me what I wanted, which turned out to be excactly what I wanted!

Dior Lip Maximizer. It's a shiny gloss, almost clear, a tiny bit pink, but it plumps your lips without the burning or stinging.

"I'm obsessed with lip products," I said to them dead seriously.

And they all go "WE KNOW!!"

Haha!

Oh! Also, this is, I am sure, completely unacceptable, but I did buy a mascara.

I try different ones and I believe I will try every single mascara ever made, because...well, I'm a Primp Queen!

Ok, brace yourself.

This is not easy for me. I had no guidance whatsover, I strictly bought this because the packaging promised me the moon, the stars and everything in between and that all of my wildest dreams would come true.

Loreal Voluminous Extra Collagen.

I know.

I know.

BUT I love it! I put several coats on and it really makes my eyes pop.

Speaking of trying new beauty products. Every now and then, just for my own amusement, I try something and ask Lil Angel Baby what he thinks.

I tried a BB cream, you know, one of the fancy ones. It was $48.00.

I put it on and asked him, "How does my new make up look?"

And he goes "Uhhhh...it looks like you don't have any make up on and also your face is super shiny."

And then he goes "Right?"

I thanked him.

I asked. He answered. That's fair. 

Didn't save the reciept so guess what's at the bottom of my caboodle!

I told one of my beauty advisors and they were horrified.

"Why didn't you ask us first!?"

Lesson learned.

However, a few days ago, I was talked into wearing a very dark red lipstick.

All of my advisors gave me kudos and told me how great it looked.

I got home and I am not kidding you. This is what Lil Angel Baby say's to me.

He goes "What happened to your lips?"

Ha ha! I was like "Nothing HAPPENED to my lips, it's just a different shade of lipstick."

That was so funny.

A red lipstick instead of my usual pink and suddenly something was terribly WRONG!

What makes this whole thing a mystery is when I had my Juvederm injections and had a few bruises, lot's of swelling and a very slight speech impedement, he didn't notice.

I'm not gonna say anything if he doesn't. A good rule to go by. Hee hee!

 Anyway, enjoying my new products.

Have a fantastic day!!

Almost Failed Typing Class

I haven't been able to blog on my laptop for several postings and I never thought I'd say this, but I miss typing with all 10 fingers!

That's why my postings have been short and sweet. All were typed with my thumbs on my phone!

Anyway, this brings me back to freshman year in highschool.

Parent-Teacher conferences were taking place. My Mom showed up and had the following interaction with Mrs. Eichman, my typing teacher.

This blog is sure to make me look very old, as some of you are like "Typing Class?"

Yes, we actually had to take a class to teach us how to type.

"How's this ever going to help me in life?" We all thought and some of us said out loud.

Mrs. Eichman hated me for the following reasons:

I goofed off in her class and didn't take it seriously.

It wasn't all my fault though. My best friend Jenny was also in my class and we found it impossible to get through without giggling and passing notes.

Anyway, at Parent-Teacher conference, my Mom say's to Mrs. Eichman, "What do you mean she's getting a "D" in typing?"

And Mrs. Eichman say's "She doesn't take the class seriously and she is always making jokes, often at my expense."

Then my Mom goes "Only an IDIOT get's a "D" in typing."

I just sat there watching this "tennis match" of a conference.

Mrs. Eichman then said "Well, that's the grade she earned and that's the grade she's given."

Then, right when I thought Mrs. Eichman had won, my mother leans in and say's in a very low tone "I think we both know what needs to happen here...now why don't you take your little eraser on your little pencil and change that "D" to a "C."

Mrs. Eichman kept her eyes locked on my mother's eyes and angrily changed the grade!!

"Thanks, Mom..." I started to say.

"Be quiet," My mom said without taking her eyes off of Mrs. Eichman.

Looking back I actually feel kind of sorry for Mrs. Eichman for having to put up with me.

One day, Jenny and I were in typing class and we were quietly talking across the room.

We have a gift for reading each other's lips, which came in handy.

"I don't feel good," I mouthed to her.

Jenny goes "Neither do I..."

And I said "Really, you don't? Because I seriously think I need to go to the nurse."

And Jenny said "Seriously, I think I do, too."

What were the chances?

Right as we both decided that we were simply too ill to go on with Typing Class, we both got up at the same time and appeared at Mrs. Eichman's desk.

"We're both sick," I said, unapologetically.

"GO SIT DOWN," Mrs. Eichman said with absolute venom in her voice.

This made Jenny and I laugh really hard, despite our illness.

"No, seriously, Mrs. Eichman, we both don't feel good today, and we both need to go to the nurse."

She looked at Jenny and said "You can go," and then glared at me and said "Take your seat NOW!"

I said "Mrs. Eichman, I assure you I am just as sick, if not sicker than Jenny."

She let me go, I think, just from sheer loss of will to control me.

I often wonder how Mrs. Eichman is doing these days....poor thing. But I will say she was right...typing is one handy skill!

Question for You...Beauty Products

Ok...you know you'll be stranded a while on an island or in the jungle or someplace where there are no cosmetic health and beauty stores or spa's...I know...shudder!

But what 4 products would you bring?
I really want to hear from you!
Dont leave a primp queen hanging.

But it's just until Joe Teti rescues you...so don't panic.

Excellent Hair Oil

I love this hair oil.  I tried many different oils but see the best results wth this one.

Bamboo Kendi Oil Mist.

Tess, one of my favorite stylists, turned me on to this. Thanks Tess!

As you can see the bottle is almost empty. I wanted to see if I really liked it before blogging about it.

The other day someone told me my hair looked really good because it was poker straight and I hadn't even used my straightening iron.

It's in a spray bottle, so it goes on evenly. It doesn't make your hair look oily or greasy, just silky. Also it smells really good!

Gorgeous Skin is Yours

This is my favorite regimen for youthful and hydrated skin.

You'll look and feel like you went to a very expensive spa!

All products by Murad.

I do my face, neck and decollete, three times per week.

Start with cleansed skin...whatever your fave cleanser is.

Intensive Resurfacing Peel. Leave on for 10 minutes, rinse and pat dry. This product is very anti aging, exfoliating and makes your skin glow.

Age diffusing friming mask. 10 minutes, rinse, pat dry. This one is lifting, firming and hydrating.

Rapid collagen infusion. Leave on. This serum plumps your collagen and hydrates, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles.

Hydrating toner. Spray on. Pure hydration and balances impurities.

Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum. Like a big drink of water for your skin and takes down redness.

Your skin will be exfoliated, hydrated and beautiful!

Then why not make yourself a fruit smoothie for internal hydration.

Today I had banana, pineapple, blueberries and flax seeds.  I just added water. I make it ice cold because it's super hot here and this is very refreshing. So good!

Seasonal Produce and Daily Puppy!

Not sure if you saw I added the Daily Puppy to my blog. It's a great way to bring a smile to your face each day...looking at a precious puppy. If you're like me you love all animals, especially pups.

And for your pleasure, I also added a convenient chart of seasonal produce...if you're in the US, just select your state and it tells you what's in season.

Enjoy!

Food Today in Veganville!

I had half an English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast. Lunch was a peach, fresh green beans, carrots and a few almonds. Dinner was Amy's No Cheese pizza. my fave!

 I really try to do raw food all day like my friend Brian but it's kind of hard!

Zippy keeps strategically placing protein bars throughout my house.  He's concerned I'm not eating enough. I laughed so hard I snorted! Nobody's ever said that to me.

I was like oh I eat...don't you worry!

Zippy is my Father In Law.

Hope you are having a wonderful day, All!

How to Get Rid of Blackheads and Shrink Your Pores

Wow...ok, if you want to get your skin super clean and make your pores look nonexistant...here you go:

1. Cleanse with Murad cleanser of choice. I love the Clarifying Cleanser.

2. Use the new Murad Blackhead and Pore Clearing Duo: put the mask on affected area. Wait 10 minutes. Get fingers wet and massage for a few seconds. Rinse.

3. Apply the second step of the Duo...Pore Refining Sealer...thin layer.

4. In evening apply the Murad Pore and Line Minimizing Hydrator.

5. In the morning after cleansing apply another thin layer of Pore Refining Serum.

6. Apply Murad Oil Control Mattifier.

I don't have blacheads but like death and taxes, enlarged pores are inevitable for all of us.

I noticed a huge difference after one usage of the Duo and each time I see an improvement. My clients have been complimenting me on my skin lately too, asking me what I've been doing.

Try this and let me know!

I hope your day is amazing and wonderful!

Best Dark Circle Products Yet

Alright...I believe I have the solutions now!

You know your products are working by the comments you get from others.

I have been using certain products lately and people say "But you don't have dark circles."

Finally!

Ok so my first product is Murad Instant Radiance Eye Cream. This product is going to lighten your environmentally induced dark circles under your eyes in 15 minutes.  It also works over time as you use it.

For my little insomniacs out there...this will get rid of those unsightly bags, too.

I love it!

However, I have gentetic dark under eye circles so I have to cover them.

I've tried many cosmetics for this that work pretty well, but half way through the day the problem comes back.

What's solved my issue?

Murad Acne Concealer stick.

The product is meant to conceal and treat acne however I found out that some makeup artists in Hollywood voted it best under eye concealer.

You might be thinking it will dry your skin under your eyes but it truly doesn't. Your dark circles will be hidden all day and that delicate skin will be smooth and hydrated.

I've been using it for a few weeks and it's my number one choice!

They come in light, medium and dark. I use medium as it blends with my natural skin tone.

If you have breakouts, it's fantastic for covering them up and treating them at the same time.

Guys can use it too because it doesn't look like makeup.

Try it out and let me know your thoughts.

Perfect Eyebrows

Everyone...please welcome Cassandra to The Maintenance Team!

I have made a very serious decision to go to a professional to have my brows done.

I have done this many times but never have I made a serious commitment to do it every month.

Cassandra did such a good job that I don't even need to put brow liner or gel or anything else on!

She tweezes, waxes, combs, brushes and trims them.

I really love the fact that in getting this done it cuts my morning prep time down to six minutes. I don't like spending too much time applying makeup. Never have.

Now....you're thinking...six minutes?? That includes everything from cleansing, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, under eye concealer, a fairy dusting of Jane Iredale pressed powder, eye shadow (Urban Decay Naked), eye liner, mascara....lipstick is done in the car...lol!

Speaking of lipstick, I went to Mac to get my favorite lipstick ever...it's called "Snob" and the gal said "Do you want the lip liner that goes with it?" and I was like "yaaaaaaa!"  I treated myself.

The liner is called Hip and Happy....it's very pretty!

Weight Loss on New Plan

Even though this is not a weight loss blog, I just had to update you. In one week of doing my friend's food plan I lost 6 pounds.

I promised myself I wouldn't do any diet I can't live on permanently so that's why I'm so excited about this.

Basic plan: fresh fruit, vegetables and some nuts during the day and one vegan meal at dinner time.

I also get myself up in the morning and work out for about 45 minutes. Six days a week.

Example: bananas, pineapple, baby carrots and nuts for snacks all day. Oh and I drink lot's of water. If you do this just pick whatever you like or what's in season. Mix it up!

Then for dinner a vegan burrito or some pasta with sauce made with tons of vegetables. I usually only just have a small portion.

For my workouts I run for one or 2 miles and then do The Firm.....one of their dvds....they are so awesome because you see results but they're not so hard that I can't do them! Being the delicate flower that I am. Hee hee!

I hope you find this helpful. The other day one of my clients goes "Hey! Where did your butt go! It's so small!" and I said "Thanks and I think it's higher up, too." and glanced over my shoulder at it.

Food and Workout Today on New Plan

Bananas, grapes, tomatoes and half cup of nuts with a spoonful of dark chocolate chips. yummy! I always bring 2 bananas but just eat one. I like to have an emergency back up banana for security purposes. Haha!
I also worked out this morning...ran one mile then did The Firm Bikini Blast. After that I went swimming for a few laps.

I hope you have a wonderful day! And thanks Brian for the useful tips!

New Nails and Diet Changes

I'm changing things up! This is my new set of nails. They're shorter with less white on the tips. Next time I'm gettng an American Manicure. Heard of it? It's really pretty and natural looking but still very polished and perfect.

I will post pics once I get them done.

Basically, instead of French white tips, the entire nail is a pale shade of pink.

I'm kind of excited about it, if you couldn't tell. Haha!

Also, last weekend we got together with our dear friends. We are a group of couples who have been through everything together in the last 17 years - bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, births, funerals, epic parties and just hanging out. We're more like family than friends.

Anyway, one of the guys, Brian, lost 20 pounds a couple of years ago and managed to keep it off. We got to talking about my vegan diet and he offered some advice.

I've been feeling kind of pudgy lately and couldn't figure out why. Well, when you're not paying attention, and you quit eating meat and dairy, you can get very lazy and eat of lot of carbs. 

So, I told Brian my problem and he offered some solutions so I can stop feeling like a line backer.

He told me to start off with a cleansing juice fast. I told him I really didn't want to.

He goes, "Well, you should."

And I was like "I don't want to."

And he goes "You need to."

And I said "Yeah but I don't want to."

Well, Brian was successful in making me do a juice fast. It kind of felt like the time his brother, also a part of our little family, got me to jump off the roof of his house into the pool.

He managed to do that right after I said these words, "I would never jump off a roof into a pool," and then I added, "Too scarey."

Next thing I knew I was on the roof in my bikini jumping into the pool. Both Buxton brothers holding my hands and jumping with me.

Evidently when one of the Buxton Brothers say's jump, I say how high.

It would take a room full of shrinks to figure that one out.

Anyway, Brian said to start off with a juice cleanse.

I said "For how long?" and he said "As long as you want."

So I did 2 days and was feeling pretty good!

I did orange, carrot and beets.

A word about drinking beet juice. When you go to the bathroom, your waste material is red. Dark red.

I was like "Oh, ok, I'm bleeding internally..." and then I was like 

"No! It's the beet juice!"

Then on day 2 I did pineapple, peach and orange juice. And more carrot juice.

After that, Bri said he eats nothing all day except for organic, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and some dark chocolate chips, just a few.

Then at home, he eats a normal but small dinner of whatever his lovely wife makes.

It's so simple. I have been doing this for a few days now and I feel really good. It takes all the guess work out of what I'm going to do for breakfast and lunch, etc.

It's easy. Today I had bananas, peaches, tomatoes, some nuts. Then for dinner I made an AMAZING burrito!!

Here's my recipe:

In a pan, sautee onions, garlic and squash finely chopped. I use avocado oil. Once that's cooked, I put 2 cans of cannelini beans and cook them.

Take a fork and smash the beans up so they look like refried beans.

I put salt, pepper and hot sauce in.

Then wrap it up in a tortilla and brown it in a drop of avocado oil.

Soooooo good!!

Please enjoy this pic of my new nails...

 

Facial and a Massage Today

On my quest for wellness, I've decided to get a facial and a massage every month.

I highly recommend it!

Today my facial went like this:

She did microdermabrasion first, then serious extractions, then a large dose of an acid peel consisting of a blend of glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids.

OUCH!! It really hurt but it was so worth it because my skin looks and feels amazing.

Right after my facial, I had a 2 hour massage.

Deep tissue. Basically I got beat up for 2 hours and again, I feel amazing!

It was perfect timing because I had a fender bender on Friday - not my fault.

A 16 year old girl backed her car into me. I didn't even have time to hit the breaks. I have a bruise on my right arm from the steering wheel and my neck was messed up.

Even though it was her fault, I felt a little bit sorry for her because I knew her mom was gonna be mad since she had the exact same accident a week ago.

She knew the whole drill, asking me for my insurance, etc. and I couldn't help myself. I said to her "Sounds like this happens to you quite a bit."

And she goes "Ya, it just happened last week."

Anyway, I am totally fine, and now that I had a deep tissue massage focusing on my neck, I feel even better.

Monthly facials and massages are fantastic and amazing. I think you should go make some appointments for yourself.

Dieting with Mrs.Romeo

Are you curious about how my 21 Day Cleanse is going?

Well, I learned something about myself.

And isn't that one of the great joys of life, self discovery?

Yes, you guessed it. The cleanse ended.

The weird thing is I have been eating and enjoying nothing but smoothies, salads and other healthy vegan food for months now, but as soon as I called it a "cleanse" something in my brain made me want to rebel!

And I did so. I really did.

Now, I am back on track, only I'm not on a "cleanse" or a "fast" or a "diet." I am just eating vegan food, which is by far my favorite way to eat. And 60% to 80% of that is raw.

Which makes me feel happy!

I guess I am over the whole dieting thing because...well...we're going to have to go back to the 5th grade.

My teacher was Mrs. Romeo. She was young, beautiful, intelligent and fashionable. I wanted to be just like her.

So, instead of eating lunch with the other kids, I often would stay in the classroom and eat lunch with Mrs. Romeo.

She didn't mind. I don't think she knew I was "studying" her. I wanted to know everything she did so I could be like her.

One thing I noticed was her choice of lunch food.

A Slender Bar and a Diet Pepsi. Noted. I took a mental picture of the box of Slender Bars and promptly walked to Walgreens after school to get some so I could be on a diet like Mrs. Romeo.

My Walgreens trips were usually reserved for getting myself a Coke and a bottle of nail polish. I'd pick out the prettiest pink I could find, get my can of Coke, place the items on the counter and then dump out all my nickles, dimes and quarters to pay for them.

"My nails are gonna look so good!" I'd say to myself walking home, drinking my Coke.

So, when I'd get home. I'd sit at the kitchen table and carefully and slowly polish each nail.

Then I'd painstakingly sit for several minutes until I thought they were good and dry. It felt like an eternity for that polish to dry, but you know the Tiny Primp Queen in the making was going to do whatever needed done!

I ended up smudging them every single time. It infuriated me. I'd end up cursing very loudly, usually in Italian.

That's it! I thought. I have had it with this nail polish.

"Dear Revlon,"

My letter started...

"I purchase your nail polishes and every time I let them dry for several minutes, my nails always get smudged and I have to re-do them. I am 10 years old. Do you know how hard it is for someone my age to sit still?

I would appreciate it if you could make your nail polishes faster drying. If possible.

If not, I am thinking of switching over to Lee Press On Nails, because my Mom won't let me get sculptured nails at the salon.

Thank you."

I sent that letter but never got a response.

HOWEVER! Did you notice Revlon started making quick-dry polishes not long after.

You're welcome, everyone!

I did try the Lee Press On Nails, which made me even angrier. Try being 10 years old, and watching your nails pop off when you go to open your Coke.

Anyway, I went to Walgreens and there they were, Slender Bars. Eight in a box.

I was very excited because the next day when I ate lunch with Mrs. Romeo, we could both have our slender bars together and be like, ladies who lunch.

Taking tiny princess bites of our diet candy bars.

Walking home made me very hungry, however, so I ate one of them. They were delicious! They tasted like a chocolate Rice Krispie Treat with this waxy coating. Mmmmm.

After dinner that night, I had another Slender Bar.

Ok, I only have 6 Slender Bars left. I better save them, I thought. For my diet.

Dieting is so easy and fun! I could LIVE on Slender Bars. That's what I was thinking.

By the end of the next day I was so hungry from dieting with Mrs. Romeo, I was ready to eat my arm!

But that started me on a long road of trying crazy diets and I think that's why I have pretty much had it with the 21 Day Cleanse.

I'm really just not into it. I think those cleanses are for someone who really needs to make some drastic changes and has lot's of cleansing to do.

This is about as anti-climactic as my colonic. Should we go there?

I blogged about this in May. I went to get a colonic and nothing but clear water came out of me.

So for those of you who thought nothing but fairies and rainbows and butterflies came our of my butt, you were right!

No but seriously, I went back for another colonic and the same thing happened. I believe I was already all cleaned out.

So, for now, I am going to continue my enjoyable vegan lifestyle and NOT call it a diet!

Alright kids, story time is over. Have a fantastic day and remember that you're wonderful and beautiful.

OH! This is hilarious...check it out. An ad from a newspaper from 1980 with SLENDER BARS on sale!

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19800702&id=9E1NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vTQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3575,269001

Crazy Sexy Diet 21 Day Cleanse

I am on day 2 of Kris Carr’s 21 Day Cleanse from her book “Crazy Sexy Diet.”

Notice I waited until I got through at least a full day before telling you about it. haha!

This is not your ordinary “cleanse.”  When I hear that word I think of suffering and starving. Which I have done. Like a trooper!

I’ve done juice fasts, fruit fasts, water fasts, all kinds of cleanses in the name of getting healthy and I am not sure they did much for me. I also hate drinking every meal. 

Haha! Who likes that?

So, this is actually really easy and enjoyable.

I will post pics tomorrow of my food, but I wanted to tell you about what I’ve been having and why I like this cleanse.

I get to eat four times a day: breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. Also, it’s all really good food that I love to eat anyway, so it’s not a big shocker to my system.

And you don’t have to count or measure food or suffer in any way.

The best part is how I feel, very calm, clear headed and happy!

I know I keep telling you that but let me just say I had some sugary treats over the holiday weekend and it really affected me.

I yelled at a lady in Walgreens for leaving her two dogs in the car, with no air conditioner, not even cracked window. I hunted her down in the store with my hands on my hips demanded that she go turn the car air on immediately.

For you animal lovers out there, I KNOW!! It was 112 degrees outside.

Anyway, I think the reason I went ballistic is partly because of the sugar poisoning my system. But mostly because of the ignorant woman who abused her dogs in front of me.

Ok, so on this cleanse J

Breakfast is a fruit and vegetable smoothie.

Lunch is a salad with tons of raw vegetables and chick peas, sautéed vegetables, and gluten free grains. (I like sweet potatoes or quinoa pasta)

Snack is another smoothie and some gluten free seed crackers with home made hummus.

Dinner is the same as lunch.

But you can get creative, so it’s kind of fun!

Tonight I made rice with sautéed zucchini and squash cooked in avocado oil with garlic and red pepper flakes.

It was sooooooo good.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Cheers!

New York City Ballet Workout

Do you love workout dvd's like I do?

This is my favorite.

The New York City Ballet Workout.

You can get it from Amazon.com for under $20.

Here's why I love it:

You can do it in the privacy of your own home. You don't need any equipment. You get to lay down for many of the exercises :)

It's super easy yet effective. Great for your posture and core strength. Really good for toning legs and butt.

The movements are small, and while you're doing them, you'll be thinking, is this really doing anything?

Then, the next day you'll feel it!

Also, the exercises are broken up into segments, so if you want to just do stretching exercises, go for it.

Or if you want to focus on strenghthening, you can do that.

They encourage you to start out slowly and listen to your body.

It goes along with my philosophy that exercise should be fun and doesn't have to hurt. You don't have to kill yourself and risk injury.

Which goes hand in hand with my take on food. It should be healthy AND taste really good.

I also love that I memorized a few of the exercises and can do them in my hotel room when I have to travel for work. I stay at hotels that have a workout room and use the treadmill to run.

Then I like to go back to my room and do as many ballet exercises as I want.

If you get this dvd, make sure you get yourself a really great ballet outfit. You knew I was gonna say that. :)

Go to Dee's Dancewear, they have really cute, elegant and beautiful clothing that's not too expensive.

OH! And the introduction on the dvd is done by none other than the fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker. For you Sex and the City Fans. :)

Big Sexy Hair

Everyone who knows me or knows someone who knows me knows that mommy likes her big hair!

I am a child of the 80's afterall. :)

There are a couple of tips for big Texas hair...One question I get often is "How do you get your hair to do that?"

First of all, I have an amazing stylist named Brenda. She trims the ends, leaving the length, but the key is texturizing at the crown. She has those special shears with the teeth and she is careful not to over-do it, because that's when you see the fly-aways.

Not flattering at all.

I asked Brenda to use those texturizing shears to thin my hair out all over and she goes like this to me:

"No."

I trust her. She said that's why the ends start to look all straggly and thin.

For years I would have my whole head of hair thinned out and now that I have Brenda who has the wherewithall to look me in the face and say, "I know what I'm doing, trust me." And my favorite quote of her's is "I got you baby, I got you."

Finally!

So there's the texturizing and then, she whipped out the Big Sexy Root Pump.

You spray a little bit in the roots at the crown, let it dry and then take your comb and tease it a little bit. Instant lift and it stays all day.

I love Big Sexy products for a few reasons. First of all, the name is awsome. But mostly, the products work and do whatever you want your hair to do.

I use Root Pump and Spray and Play. And yes, that's Ballerina Hello Kitty who's wearing my sleep mask when I am awake.

Do you wear a sleep mask? I like to sleep in pitch darkness and this really helps.

Anyway, here's Big Sexy.

Now, if you want serious hold that won't budge you will want to get Spray and Stay.

Spray and Play is if you want hold but it still moves a little.

Here are before and after pics. The first one is with another hair spray brand and pre-lip injections. Notice the swelling is way down at this point.

The nurse who did the Juvederm goes "Now, this will last you a whole year."

And I said "Oh, girl friend, I'll be seeing you in six months, easy."

The second pic is Big Sexy Hair Root Pump and Spray and Play and Juvederm in lips.

I believe I am ready for a Bon Jovi concert at this point! Haha!

Banana Moon Pie Smoothie

Remember Moon Pies? This smoothie tastes like one of those treats. I made this with rice milk, bananas, almond butter, mangos and pineapple. So good! I use ice cold rice milk so it's nice and refreshing. Enjoy!!

Beauty Memories

Today I went through all my cosmetics and products to see what needed to be pitched.

You know how it goes...you open a caboodle and see all your various cosmetics you just HAD TO HAVE, and now they're in a box taking up space.

Question: do you save lipstick tubes even when they're empty? Like, you might get a small stick and dig out the remaining last bits?

But you never take the time to find a small stick and instead of throwing the useless lipstick in the garbage, you save it.

I tossed 8 tubes of lipstick today.

Don't worry, the MAC ones I kept for the Back to Mac Program...save 6 empties and get a new lipstick for free. :) Love that.

Speaking of lipstick, oh my gosh, so, yesterday I ran into an associate of mine and we hadn't seen each other in a couple of months.

(I had just gotten my Juvederm in my lips the day before, remember)

She hugged me and said "Wow! you look so beautiful!"

I said "Thanks!"

And she scanned my face, looking to pin point what was different.

Then she looked at my hair, and her eyes made their way down to my chest.

"Ah, ah, ah, back up here...in this region," I wanted to say while pointing to my face."

That's when you know you've had good work - You look better but nobody knows why.

Ha ha!

Anyway, I cleaned out my makeup cases and threw away a garbage bag full of broken eye pencils, shimmery shadows, empty lipsticks, glosses that looked pretty but tasted weird and the like...all of which I know I will never miss.

Looking at all my cosmetics reminded me of when I was young and asked my Mom if I could wear makeup.

"No!" She'd say.

"But why not?" I asked.

"Because you're seven," She'd respond.

"But Nancy Jandrowski wears makeup..." I said

Then my Mom goes "Is that what you want, to look cheap, like Nancy Jandrowski?"

I could tell by her tone that the answer was supposed to be "no," but all I could think was, "If wearing a little blue eyeshadow and red lipstick means I'll look cheap, then yes, the answer is yes."

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your day.

Tomorrow seems perfect to go shopping for some new makeup, don't you think? My cases look so empty now.

:)

More Under Eye Dark Circle DRAMA!

I was in a very popular beauty store today and met a make up artist.

I asked if she had anything for dark under eye circles.

She looked very annoyed and said "Let me see," as she looked at my face.

She grabbed some products and began applying them.

At first she dabbed some cream on a sponge and proceeded to tap it under my eyes, then she kept tapping, getting the product in my eyes.

I didn't say a word.

She's a make up artist.

Surely she knows what he's doing.

And hello, suffering for beauty is the essence of being a Primp Queen. That's what I DO!

Then she goes like this,

"You have to tap it. Tap,tap, tap, tap it!
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!

As she was tapping, she said "Eww, why are you're eyes like, watery and red?

And I said, "I'm not sure, but do you think it could be from you stabbing me with that sponge? You know, directly in my eyeball?"

All the while I was suffering, suffering in silence, like the saints, I thought, maybe I'll look like Gisele Bunschen when she's done with me.

I don't know...I mean,certainly, with all this pain, it has to be worth it, right?

Then she goes "Ok, how do you like it?"

I checked the mirror.

My eyes were swollen and blood shot.

I wiped away the tears and looked right at her and said,

"I think I look really good."

Then, always and forever being the optimist who believes good things can happen from tragedy, a very nice gal came up to me and said,
"I know just what you need."

I was hoping for a Bounty paper towel to blot my face, but instead she showed me the Kat Von D collection.

Who, by the way has a killer lipstick. FYI.

"But that's heavy duty concealer for tatoos," I said.

And she goes "Exactly!"

Bingo.

If it's good enough to cover Kat's tats, it's good enough for my dark circles!

So, that's my new obsession. I love it and I recommend it!

And it's painless. You just put a tiny bit on your ring finger and gently apply.

No tears, no stabbing, no redness or irritation.

And it stays put, even in this heat.

Here you go, Kittens

http://www.sephora.com/kat-von-d

Vegan Cole Slaw

I got home from work yesterday and this was in the fridge.

I didn't think twice and put some on a plate and began to eat it.

(Lil Angel Baby made this)

I go "This is really good!" And proceeded to spit it out.

And Lil Angel Baby goes "No! It's ok, it's vegan!"

He made is special for me with Veganaise instead of mayo.

Sooo sweet of him!!

Look how yummy.

I usually don't ask how he makes things because I feel it will take away from the mystery of how good it is.

But I thought you might like to know, so I asked.

Cabbage, carrots, onion, veganaise, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. 
Easy! 

And very refreshing for the summer time. :) 

Juvederm Lip Injections Today

I went early this morning and had my Juvederm done.

It was at a Dermatologists office, where the Nurse Practitioner did it. She's excellent!

I went and taught a full Product Knowledge class for fifty attendees an hour after I had this done.

A true Primp Queen never misses work just because she had a procedure including 2 numbing agents and 10 needle injections!

 They are very swollen right now but here's a pic so you can see.

My Favorite Thing Right Now...Hint: It's a PINK SMOOTHIE!

Watermelon Juice!

How to make it:

Chop up some watermelon, plut in a blender. Add ice cold water.

Blend it up.

Poor in a fancy glass and go

"Mmmmmmm" while you're drinking it!

I've been living off these for the last few days.

Ever hear of a fruit high?

Well, let me float on down from my cloud of happiness to tell you!

Seriously, I get a fruit high when I drink lot's of fruit smoothies. I feel joyful, amazing, clear headed and almost giddy.

Folks say to me "I couldn't just drink smoothies all day, I get too hungry."

Well, what I do is drink this all morning and then when I want solid food guess what I do:

I eat!!

Yesterday I had a vegan chickpea burger on toasted bread, with spinach and veganaise.

Then the rest of the day: watermelon juice.

For dinner I had pasta with garlic, mushroom and onion marinara sauce.

Sooooo GOOD!!

I did some research and found this at http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/watermelon.html

Health benefits of watermelon

• Rich in electrolytes and water content, melons are nature’s gift to beat tropical summer thirst.
• Watermelons are very low in calories (just 30 calories per 100 g) and fats yet very rich source of numerous health promoting phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants that are essential for optimum health.
• Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin-A, which is a powerful natural anti-oxidant. 100 g fresh fruit provides 569 mg or 19% of daily-required levels of this vitamin. It is essential for vision and immunity. Vitamin-A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• It is also rich in anti-oxidant flavonoids like lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants are found to offer protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Phyto-chemicals present in watermelon like lycopene and carotenoids have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen-free radicals. 
• Watermelon is an excellent source of carotenoid pigment, lycopene and indeed, superior to raw red tomato. 100 g of fresh melon provides 4532 µg lycopene, whereas only 2573 µg in tomatoes. Studies suggest that lycopene offer certain protection to skin from harmful UV rays.
• Watermelon fruit is a good source of potassium; Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; It thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
• Furthermore, it contains a good amount of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), vitamin-C, and manganese. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
• Total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) of watermelon is 142 µmol TE/100 g.

My Thoughts on Toxic Relationships

I often get asked about my thoughts on detoxing and I think people expect me to tell them about juice fasts or cleanses. (More on that later).

I think a lot of our problems with toxicity in our lives may come from other people.

Do you remember your first day of school?

I do...I actually remember my first day of kindergarten AND my first day of first grade.

I have this philosophy that those first days are critical in our development and kind of "set the stage" for the rest of our lives. At least how we interact with others.

My first day of kindergarten went a little something like this:

I was used to spending my days in the comfort of my home with my mom and new baby brother. Life was good.

Then I get the news that they're shipping me off someplace.

Now, for some reason, I missed the very first day.

So, when I walked in, I saw 20 kids and a teacher and everyone already knew everyone else and they also knew all the rules and "the drill," so to speak.

I sat down and looked around at all the kids talking to each other. I was just taking it in.

Then everyone stood up and began to speak in unison.

Ok, we're standing up now? I thought, and followed suit.

They put their hands on there hearts and started:

"I pledge allegiance, to the Flag, of the United States of America..."

And so on.

I had no idea what they were doing so I just stood there, looking to my left and to my right and also at the Flag.

Red, white and blue, so pretty!

Incidentally, I did have the Pledge of Allegiance nailed shut by Thursday of that week!

More on kindergarten later...

Now, my first day of first grade, I also vividly remember.

I walked in and it was a different set of kids.

They also all knew each other and had obviously gone to kindergarten together, whereas, I was from a different school.

I looked around the room and tried to locate the meanest looking kid.

There were two or three kids crying in the corner.

They won't bother me, I thought.

My idea was this, if I can win over the bully of the group, then surely I will  breeze right on through the first grade unscathed.

I found her, the meanest looking kid was a girl named Betsy.

For the life of me I cannot remember her last name.

It really bothers me because I usually do remember....

Koslowski!!

I got it, Betsy Koslowski.

Ok, so I sat down next to her and started chatting.

"I like your pencil box," Betsy says.

I hand it over to her and say "It's yours."

She goes "That's ok, my mom bought me a pencil box, I don't need yours," she said with a warm smile on her cute but mean looking face.

Turns of Betsy Koslowski was one of the sweetest girls ever!

My point is, for some reason, I always used to try to find the "Problem Person" in the room, starting at the tender age of six.

Now, you might be thinking that I have this horrible need for everyone to like me.

Nope. I don't.

I do, however, have a need to not be hassled.

That's my goal.

So I took this with me throughout my life.

Fast forward to my early adulthood when I had issues and problems with associates.

Lil Angel Baby would say to me "You know what your problem is? You find the most undesirable, worst person in the office and try to make them like you."

"NO I DON'T!" I said.

So, I worked in this one office and there was a woman we shall call Miss Kitty Cat.

Miss Kitty Cat hated my guts for some reason, which would have been ok, if she would have kept that information to herself.

She actually would look at me and make motions like she was going to vomit.

I'm not kidding. I nauseated her.

So I said to Lil Angel Baby, "It's Miss Kitty Cat's birthday tomorrow."

And he goes "Do NOT buy her a gift and make her a cake!"

And I hung my head very low and muttered "Too late."

He was right!

I did seek out these toxic relationships, instead of just gravitating toward people who were nice and pleasant, and didn't throw up when they saw me.

Do you do this?

Who's bugging you?

Who are you subjecting yourself to?

You don't need to torture yourself by being around people who bring you down, left-hand compliment you, or insult you.

Think about it.

When you talk on the phone to someone, notice how you feel when you hang up.

Do you feel uplifted and joyful, or kind of dirty and sad?

I'm not saying to cut them out completely, but you can do what I do and "love them from a distance" winking sideways smiley! ;)