Amazing post- be gentle with each other!

Sometimes you read a blog post that just resonates with you. The Bloggess, one of the funniest people I've ever read, posted a link in her Sunday wrapup that left me absolutely speechless. This post is written by someone I've never read before, but she touched something in me.

I don't mean to bring the mood down, but I feel like this really needs to be read. Take the time to see what signs the people around us are wearing. I'm afraid my sign would need a couple of extra people to carry if I filled it all in, but rest assured I'm doing my best and working hard to get past this.

Most of all? Every one of you reading this helps me do it. I appreciate you all. :D

Thanks to the Bloggess for passing this link on.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

How exactly do you explain it...

You know... I had an interesting conversation by email today. My mom was checking up on me, seeing how I'm doing with the knee of doom and all. Everything was going nicely til she asked the question.

It's not a rude question, or one people shouldn't ask. In fact, it's the logical question really:  So, what did you do to your knee?

The problem? I have absolutely no freaking idea what I did to trigger this round of fun. I simply woke up and my knee was swelling and painful. But how do you convey this to people?

See, I've run into this in the past. If I say I don't know, people think I'm lying to them because the story is just too juicy to share, or they think I was too drunk to remember what I did. I don't like either connotation, and saying I don't know is always followed by them pressing you to tell them what really happened.

If I tell them the truth- that years ago I had two arthroscopic surgeries on that knee, and that periodically it just decides it hates me, and that I woke up three weeks ago with my knee swollen, unstable, and painful- then they sort of zone out halfway through and I feel like I'm boring them silly, or that I'm going into entirely too much detail. Clearly that option is out of the question.

So why not come up with a great lie to describe what happened? I have a huge problem with that because I hate lying to people. Even little white lies make me uncomfortable, so I'd prefer to just not do it, even if it would make my life easier.

So I think I've found the answer tonight. My husband took me to WalMart because I've been stuck in the house for three weeks, other than the trip to the ER and a horrible trip to the post office to mail off a package. After the fourth or fifth person asked what happened to my knee, I simply shrugged and said, "I'm clumsy, what can I say?"

And what do you know? They accepted that answer as explanation enough, and let me get back to what I was doing. Who knew it'd be that simple?

I certainly didn't!

Image base provided by wikipedia commons..

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Passing the time on YouTube

Since I'm effectively housebound for the next... however long, I find myself watching a lot of YouTube. We don't have TV, so I don't get to watch things on network or cable unless they're online and I have the initiative to hunt them down. In other words,  don't watch much TV. :D

Thankfully, I have a son who likes to pass me interesting links to music and video. In the past few days, he's sent me both music and comedy, and I'm so very happy about it I just had to share it with everyone. This stuff is great!

First, let me introduce to you an absolutely amazing artist named Josie Charlwood. This was my first exposure to the art of "looping," which basically means recording small segments of either voice or instrument music piece by piece, overlaying them until you've got an entire song going. It's insane... I've got years of musical experience (both vocal and instrumental) and I still can't even begin to comprehend how you would do this live. It's magic, pure and simple.

The most amazing part of this, to me, isn't that she's a gifted vocalist, or that she's playing several instruments, or that she writes her own music or that she's running an assortment of computer/technical doodads. No... the amazing thing is that she is only 17 years old! This chick is going places, mark my words.

Then, there's the comedy. It's been said that I'm the perfect audience because I'll laugh at anything. It's true, I laugh easily and often. But there are times when a comedian connects with me in such a visceral way that I'm left heaving soundlessly, tears dripping down my face as I fight for breath, fight to control my bladder so I don't make a mess and embarrass myself further. My husband loves when I get to this point, because it's uncontrollable joy, contagious and unrestrained.

Dara O'Briain (oh-BREEan) is one of those comedians. Again, my son passed me the link and told me I had to watch him as soon as possible. I've learned that when my son says this, it's almost sure to be something I'll enjoy. I then proceeded to spend the next hour watching various clips, laughing my head off, and forgetting the pain both in my knee and everywhere else. It was magical, and crude, and hysterically funny, and I'm really glad I found this guy. He's better than narcotics for pain relief!

So, let me share with you the first video he sent, the one that had me laughing so hard I had to pause in the middle of it and hobble to the bathroom to prevent a horrible mess.Be aware that he uses a LOT of crude language, so if you're at work or around people who don't particularly want/need to be exposed to the F word, you might want to wait for another time to watch this.

 

Ah well, my husband is waiting for me to be ready to watch a DVD with him, so I think I'll close this for now. Keep smiling, if you can.

Til next time!

Ohh, how I want to get active again!! Come on, knee...HEAL!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Seriously? Another injury?

Do you ever get the feeling your life is being written by a really bad sitcom writer? This is getting unbelievable, even for me.

When last I wrote, I'd just started feeling better after getting bronchitis, then strep. My relief didn't last long. I started getting what turned out to be a cold sore (my very first, whee!) within a couple of days of finishing the second round of antibiotics. My dad gave me Abreva, which did wonders for it. We were finally heading home after the storm, and I was looking forward to getting down to business with the blog.

Except it can't work that way, can it. No...that would be far to convenient. Instead, my left knee ended up swelling considerably, to the point I only had around 15-20 degrees of range of movement with it. Oh, and the joint was unstable, meaning that if I wasn't incredibly careful in how I moved, I would wind up feeling the joint separate partly, which is LOADS of fun. I couldn't stand to have my laptop desk on my lap, and I couldn't sit at the kitchen table with it. I was basically out of luck.

My brace has 3 bars immobilizing my knee, with
lots of velcro straps to hold everything in place. Fun.

I spent the week alternately icing and heating, taking ibuprofen for the inflammation and pain and trying not to cry when the joint would go wiggly. Getting around was just out of the question, and bathroom time was LOTS of fun. Then came the stomach pain.

Long story short, I am now in a leg brace from my hip almost to my ankle and told to put no weight on my leg for at least a week. I also have a referral to an orthopedist, although no appointment yet. We'll see how long it is before they have an opening.

Clearly, this has put a bit of a damper on the blog posting, since I can't really get around to take pictures and can't really do much nail stuff. I'm absolutely blown away by how much stuff has happened in the last two months, and keep in mind I haven't even written about it all. It's just insane, and frankly I'm ready to fire my scriptwriter if I could just find him!

So yea... I'm not going anywhere, and I have stuff I'm working on when I can. It's just kind of hard to get to the computer at the moment. Wish me luck, and cross your fingers this is a problem that can resolve on its own, or at least one that won't need surgery. Three surgeries on one knee is just too much, and I've already had two on it.

Come on now, this is getting ridiculous.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Twist and Shout, by Nail Fantasies

You know what? Storms are a pain in the butt. I live in an older mobile home (yay for not paying rent!), so we tend to evacuate when there's a tropical storm or larger coming. That means I'm posting this from my dad's house!

For the record, we're fine. The storm has come and ... well, sort of gone. It's been fairly uneventful, thankfully, and we even had a bit of good luck. Normally we park in the same spot every time we go to my dad's, but this time we parked close to the house. It's a good thing, because when we came out the next morning, there was an ENORMOUS limb right where we normally park our car! It would have been seriously unpleasant, and I'm glad it didn't happen!

We didn't even have to do without power, thanks to my dad's whole-house generator. We lost power sometime in the night last night, but his generator kicked right in and kept us fully-powered. This is where I plan to be for every storm in the future, as well.

But enough of that! I want to show you a lovely polish I got on sale. I've got a few Nail Fantasies brand polishes, and I love them all. This time I'm showing you Twist and Shout, a lovely lime green creme. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures until after I'd put a coat of glitter polish from Love My Nails on, and I absolutely cannot remember the name of that polish to save my life. I'll update this blog once we're back home again and I can check the name.

Still, you can see the color well in these shots. Twist and Shout is a beautiful creamy lime green that applies nicely. It's one of those colors that really called out to me when I saw it, especially considering it was only $0.50 (if I remember correctly, it might have been less).

As you can see, the glitter polish really does give this green more of a kick. It's an interesting combination of glitters, combining fine translucent opalescent microglitter with large round translucent opalescent glitter, larger translucent opalescent hex glitter and large rhombus holographic glitter. In short, it's absolutely stunning and can look very different from nail to nail.

In fact, the difference nail to nail can be seen either as a positive or a negative characteristic. Personally, I really like the varying looks. However, if you're someone who wants your manicured nails to look consistent overall, then you might find this frustrating. There's really no way to guarantee which shape glitters will show up on your nail that I'm aware of.

I guess you could pour some out into a small dish and try to fish out the bits using a brush or a fine-pointed tool of some sort. Still, that would seem like a waste of polish to me, and too much work. I'm fine with the more whimsical, varying application.

So- overall, I'm extremely happy with both of these polishes. The lime green is perfect both for general application and for nail art, and the glitter is versatile enough to be used as a layering polish or for frankening purposes. This could make some GORGEOUS frankened polish!

As for me? I think it's time for me to find a nap... I think I hear it stalking around in the bedroom. I bet I can totally incapacitate it!

Til next time!

Tropical storms are a pain in the butt.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Sally Hansen Salon Efects- Halloween 2011

OMG, I am SO EXCITED!! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and the new Halloween collections are starting to come out. I have to admit, this one has me giggling out loud in anticipation...

Sally Hansen has come out with a line of Salon Effects specifically for Halloween, and I am SO looking forward to them! I also love that they aren't all the traditional black and orange some companies go for. Just LOOK at the designs!!

Ghoulie Girl: Google-eyed
ghosts in orange and white

Hot Wired: Bad-girl barbed wire
over lime green backdrop

Numbskull: Spooky skull
and crossbones print

Spun For You: A scary
black spider’s web

Wishnets: Witchy black fishnet
print over bright fuchsia

The press release for them has all the details... just look:

INTRODUCING

SALON EFFECTS REAL NAIL POLISH STRIPS

IN HALLOWEEN PRINTS

FROM SALLY HANSEN

THINK: Spooky style at your fingertips—just peel, apply, file, and go.

WHAT IT IS: No dry-time, nail polish strips for instant Halloween hands. This fall, make a chic seasonal statement with Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips in new Halloween-inspired prints. Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips offer DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde Free, no dry-time nail looks for style that lasts up to ten days. This easy and affordable at-home nail technology takes your Halloween costume to the next level.

Each Salon Effect Real Nail Polish Strips kit includes 16 nail polish strips, a cuticle stick, mini file/ buffer and instructions for easy at-home application. When you’re ready to change your nail strips, simply swipe nails with your favorite Sally Hansen polish remover for an instantly clean slate. Choose from five Halloween-inspired styles.

WHAT THEY COST: $9.99 each.

WHERE TO FIND THEM: Sally Hansen products are available at chain drug stores, food stores and mass merchandisers nationally.

Are you excited about these? Leave me a comment telling me which one you like most!!

Til next time!

Images were provided by the manufacturer.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

It's official: Crazy Rumors is my favorite lip balm!

Specifically this lip balm... the Pink Grapefruit Juice flavor
is so yummy and emolient! *LOVE*

Wow. I have to share something with you, something that may not be a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but has made my life better regardless. I'm hoping you love it as much as I do!

Now, let me get this part out of the way, because I know some people wonder about it. Sometimes, I get products in the mail for evaluation. I don't mind this, and I'll give them an honest evaluation. But what you're reading is always what I honestly think about a product.

If I get a product that's just so-so, I'll explain what I don't like about it. If I get a product that sucks, I just won't write about it at all. I might also write about the problems I've had, asking if anyone else has had those issues, or if it's consistent across the brand.

However, I don't believe in writing a glowing review just because something was sent to me. If I say that I am absolutely over-the-moon in love with a product, that's because that product has impressed me, and no other reason.

Having said that? OMG, I absolutely ADORE the Pink Grapefruit Juice Lip Balm from Crazy Rumors. I live in South Louisiana, and it has been horribly hot this summer. We've had heat index of 110°-117° for weeks on end, which means it feels like 110°-117° outside. It's like stepping into a sauna, and it sucks. Because of this, I end up having chapped lips almost constantly.

Prior to trying this lip balm, I've been pretty loyal to one particular brand of balm, since it moisturized my lips without being too thick or too greasy. However, all it took was one try of Crazy Rumors balm and I was HOOKED!

Limeade and Pink Grapefruit Juice balms.

I didn't just use this once, though. I wanted to actually use it for a while, see how it lasts, see how often I have to apply it. I'm glad I did, because it's one more thing to like about it! Lots of balms actually seem to dry out your lips, causing you to need more and more balm. You end up running through a tube quickly, and having drier lips than ever.

This balm? I find I apply it two or three times a day and my lips stay incredibly soft without that greasy feeling I hate so much. It's really impressive, and I can't say enough about how much I love this stuff!

Then there's the ingredients: shea butter, jojoba oil, and extra virgin olive oil (all certified organic), stevia, vitamin E... I can feel good about putting this on my lips and into my body! And the flavors... OMG, the flavors! The Pink Grapefruit is delicious... I love it! The Limeade is kind of odd... it reminds me of kindergarten for some reason I can't quite put my finger on. It's not an unpleasant smell, though, and I still love how emollient it is.

Finally, there's the company itself! Their website describes how the company is Edie and Brian Himmel, a couple who love lip balm and wanted to make a stand-out product. There's a Crazy Rumors Twitter and a Crazy Rumors Facebook page, and both share tips, contests and special deals all the time! Why not pop over and follow them?

So, next time you need lip balm? Try Crazy Rumors... it really is amazing!

Til next time!

Lip balm was provided for consideration and evaluation.

See my disclosure statement for more information.