The Makeup Process

So, I'm a believer in full disclosure. I'm not a HUGE makeup wearer and can frequently be found wandering about without it on weekends. However, I figured I'd show just what a little bit of makeup magic can do with my old standby routine. And, FYI to all those guys out there...this is a pretty low maintenance makeup routine compared to a lot of women I know. It takes a village to make us up, but we generally have fun doing it!

Pre-makeup: body butter, toner, anti-wrinkle cream, moisturizer

Ah! It's me without makeup!

Step 1: Benefit the POREfessional primer

Concealer time!

All concealed and ready for more...

Nars Orgasm blush...it's kinda famous and I kinda love it.

Me with blush, concealer, primer and Sexy Little Motherpucker from Soap and Glory

Throw on a little eyeliner and mascara and voila!

And there's the finished product!

Having a little too much fun with my new Pocket Booth app :)

Products used: Benefit the POREfessional, Maybelline Mineral Power concealer, Benefit Watts Up highlighter, Nars Orgasm blush, Maybelline Line Stiletto eyeliner, Maybelline Great Lash mascara, Soap and Glory Sexy Little Motherpucker lip gloss

30 Questions: That Stupid Animal Question

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I hate this question...and EVERY survey-ish thing always seems to ask it! So, my cop out answer is that I would be a bird because I would rather enjoy flying. But if we're being honest here, I'd much rather fly like a superhero because I could do without the bulky wings.

In honor of that, here is a photo of me attempting to fly.

Observations about Life in Utah

If you've followed my blogging for awhile, you know that I like to make lists of cultural differences whenever I go someplace new. So, here's some observations on life thus far in Utah.

Sunday has always been my shopping day. I love being lazy and leisurely in the morning, then heading off to get a late breakfast somewhere followed by window shopping at the mall and a trip to Target. In Utah, that's not entirely possible. Before going anywhere, you have to check to see if wherever you want to go is even open on Sundays. Yes, even malls are closed on Sundays here. The Mormon church owns the nicest mall in Salt Lake, so it's closed on Sundays. Even as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm thinking about where I could go get breakfast that's open today.

People CANNOT drive. This is primarily a Salt Lake City thing. I haven't noticed nearly as many awful drivers in Park City. But when I am in SLC? Count on using the horn a LOT. Last weekend, I swear I had to lay on the horn every 30 seconds! It appears that drivers just don't really pay attention to other people, which tends to be a bit of a problem.

Alcohol laws are just weird. You can only buy alcohol in state-run liquor stores (legal monopoly, apparently) unless it's beer that is below a certain percentage. But they measure the percentage differently than the rest of the country...instead of being measured by volume, it's by weight, I think? I don't drink beer so it doesn't really mean a whole lot to me. Other strange things...last call is midnight (a big change from closing down the bars at 3:30am in college!), free pouring of liquor is illegal (all liquor pours must be measured) and you can only have one drink in front of you at a time. Happy hour isn't a thing here, really, either.

Yes, there are lots of Mormons. No, you generally cannot pick them out in a crowd. Mormons are people just like anyone else. I live with two Mormons and they are very down-to-earth, normal people.

There's this strange sort of camaraderie among the non-Mormons in Utah. Aside from certain neighborhoods in SLC and Park City, non-Mormons are definitely the minority, so I guess it just brings people together like any other shared lifestyle choice.

Anyone out there got any other questions about life in Utah?

30 Questions: 5 Strengths

Describe 5 strengths you have.

1.) Loyalty. It takes awhile to get "in" with me, but once you're in, you're in. I've got your back through anything.

2.) Resilience. I've moved all over the country, had crazy experiences and many ups and downs, but I always land on my feet.

3.) Openness. Since I was tiny, I have always been fascinated by other cultures, religions and peoples in general. While I have my beliefs, I also have the utmost respect for others' beliefs. I will always fight for the right of people to hold those beliefs, as well.

4.) Intelligence. I don't quantify this as IQ or anything like that. Yes, I'm educated. I was valedictorian of my high school, graduated college with two majors and two minors and have a Masters degree. I've taken a couple of college courses since then just for fun. But more than that, I choose to continue to educate myself even outside of school. Intelligence is far more than sitting in a classroom; it's learning from people, experiences and diving into new situations. I like to think that my experiences and education combined have shaped me into an intelligent person.

5.) Attitude. Regardless of the situation, you can count on me to be the one smiling or cracking stupid jokes in the most tense situations. Call it a coping mechanism or whatever you'd like, but to me it's youthful enthusiasm. I hope that the little kid inside of me never goes away!

30 Questions: 5 Weaknesses

Describe 5 weaknesses you have.

1.) Delicious and pretty baked goods

2.) Flat Boots...particularly equestrian style or Uggs

3.) Men in suits

4.) Cute, small animals

5.) Bright colored clothing/shoes/accessories

My Recent Life in Photos

New bedroom with a new duvet cover!

My first piece of IKEA furniture ever.

Another IKEA item that also caused me to throw out my back.

Sporting 2006 Olympic-wear to work

Mountain life

Wandering Park City's Main Street...what ski resort are you trying to find?

New World Trade Center building in NYC

Bright Uggs!

Still the best vanilla cupcake I've ever had!

Cupcakes for Margaux's 21st!

Taking notes in colored Sharpies makes life a little brighter.

Repping the U.S. Ski Team

Absentee ballot!

Nice day in Salt Lake City

More delicious NYC cupcakes!

Gotta work out since I enjoyed all those cupcakes!

Mountain morning

Hot air balloons by the office

My first Utah rainbow

AWOLNATION with Korey and Ashley

Delicious, overpriced cookies.

Truth.

30 Questions: One Day

Describe a typical day in your current life.

6:30 a.m.

Alarm goes off. I promptly reset it for 15 minutes later.

6:45 a.m.

Reset alarm again.

7:30 a.m.

Finally get out of bed after many reset alarms.

7:35 a.m.

After checking Facebook and Twitter on my phone, I drag myself out of bed to brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed and put on makeup. Usually, I listen to music while getting ready.

7:55 a.m.

Get in the car and head to work.

8:05 a.m.

Arrive at the office. The first thing I do is fill up my Paris Starbucks mug with tasty Silver Bean coffee (it's the best drip coffee I've ever had, and fortunately, that's what we brew in the office!) then catch up on emails while eating handfuls of Trader Joe's High Fiber O's cereal.

8:30 a.m.

Send out or schedule a couple of mass emails after a few rounds of double-checking.

9:00 a.m.

Proofread some press releases/emails/other documents for other departments. 

9:30 a.m.

Update some web content for an upcoming newsletter.

10:00 a.m.

Compile all stories, links, blurbs, etc. for an upcoming newsletter and send to graphic design to get made into a pretty little HTML document.

10:30 a.m.

Email some athletes regarding quotes and upcoming socials.

Noon

Either head to the Center of Excellence gym for the "Hour of Power" lunchtime workout or, if I forgot to bring food from home or am feeling unmotivated, head out to my car to get lunch somewhere. My usual suspects so far in Park City for lunch: Arby's (if I'm in a rush), Windy Ridge (awesome bakery) or Starbucks. Occasionally, I'll just run back home and eat leftovers.

1:00 p.m.

Catch up on lunchtime emails.

2:00 p.m.

Usually, this time of the afternoon is booked with meetings. These vary from catch-up meetings within my department to brainstorming meetings on upcoming projects with other departments.

4:00 p.m.

Last hour of the workday! I usually spend my final hour of the day following up on projects, wrapping up today's projects and making to-do lists for the next day or two to make sure no projects fall through the cracks.

5:00 p.m.

Work is over! I head to Whole Foods to grab some food for dinner. My favorite right now is their spicy beef chili. After getting food, I might make a stop at the Utah State Liquor Store to pick up a bottle of red wine to go with my chili.

7:00 p.m.

Now that I am fed, it's time to change into pajamas and be lazy. I chat with my roommates, enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea and eventually head into my room to chill out.

8:00 p.m.

TV time! I typically catch up on my favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu. So, that means watching Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, The New Normal or any other of the shows that catch my interest!

10:30 p.m.

Off to bed. Gotta be up early!