Since A is a dancer, finding makeup that will last all day on competition days through multiple performances and costume changes as well as lots of downtime to sit and wait and rub eyes, don't get me started...the joys of being a dance mom.  I was so excited recently to find out about BA Star eyeshadows, and I'm not just talking about for A.

BA Star markets their makeup for cheerleaders, so I knew that this stuff would see us through a performance day.  They were kind enough to send me this palette.


Of course, A's studio moved from browns to greys for this year's on-stage makeup, so we weren't able to use this palette at her last competition.  We played with it one day before going to Disneyland though.


She was originally leery of applying the glitter for daytime use, but we did a light sweep of the silvery gel glitter along her eyeliner, and we were happily surprised that the glitter was apparent but not overwhelming.  We would, of course, apply a much heavier application for stage makeup though.  The texture of the glitter gels is unlike anything we've tried before; the glitter didn't travel!  You cannot understand how big of a deal that is.  Usually by the end of the day, we are both covered in glitter as well as leaving it on everything and everyone we touch.  That didn't happen with the BA Star.

I decided to see if I could pull off wearing it, too.  Now I know what you are going to say about glitter, but I resisted the temptation to apply the glitter gel and only used the darker brown and beige shadows. Since I'm not 13, it's a little harder to see on me than A, but these shadows have amazing durability.  Where you apply them, they stay.  This is great for anyone who starts to have their makeup run halfway through the day, cheerleader, dancer, or mom.



Thanks to BA Star again for sending us this palette and for offering my readers a 50% discount.  If you'd like to try it out on yourself or your own cheerleader or dancer and take advantage of the discount, use code: http://www.bastar.com/category_s/1887.htm.

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If you've been hanging around here for awhile, you know that I'm a sucker for details, so when I found this cardigan on sale at Excess Baggage, I knew it was perfect for me.  Not only is it long and roomy, it has this shorter over layer with a draped neck.  I wore it everywhere for the entire week after it arrived. Blue is my new favorite neutral, and I'm thinking about giving it a bigger place in the wardrobe.  Taking pictures of outfits has given me a lot to analyze, and I realize that as much as I love beige, it really washes me out.  I think I'm going to try to stick to darker neutrals and hide the lighter colors for layers from now on.

Linked to: Rolled Up Pretty

I love this skirt, yet every time I've tried to wear it, I've struggled with putting together an outfit around it.  I think I've been trying to hard to pair it with more tailored things, so today I tried to go with the flow.  I initially didn't include the coat, but the hub said, "I think you want to put a coat on over that."  I gave him the raised eyebrow, but decided that since he doesn't give advise very often, I should listen to him when he does.  We took a few pictures without the coat, and wouldn't you know it, the coat made it so much better.  Lots of pattern going on here, but the coat is subtle texturing, so I'm liking it.  It would have been easy to use more feminine or delicate jewelry with this outfit, but I decided to pair some edgier pieces to play off the femininity of the outfit.  The boots are a little more casual too, but seem to work somehow.  Here's another example of one of my messy, unstructured buns this time with leather criss-crossed around a ponytail before being pulled back.  There's an awful lot of dry shampoo in the do too to add texture.

Linked to Rolled up Pretty

Until Feb. 15th, this was a question that was never asked.  I very clearly worked for the company I had worked for her entire life.  She had been to my various offices more times than she would count; when she was little, she would beg to go to work with me.  Recently, I couldn't drag her to my office.  She knew where it was, the name of my assistant, and she was familiar with this view.


Then mom went and threw a wrench in it by making this decision:


Suddenly I am substitute teaching (which she loves especially when it's for one of her classes in some bizarre twist), working from home as an editor, tutoring middle school students in China over the internet, and doing a lot more of this blogging thing.  My husband and I have a rather large office in a bonus room behind our house, but it's detached, has a cement floor, and no central heating or air.  We use space heaters during the winter and a window air conditioner during the summer.  The conditions weren't really ideal with me being home all day everyday, and I wanted an office inside the house proper. The only space available, well...it's in my closet. So, inspired by the IFB project, "Where do you Blog," this is now not just where I blog but where I work.


And it's in that half dressing table half office mode right now.  Now before you feel sorry for me and say, "Oh my gosh, her closet is the size of, well, a closet, and she's using it for an office," you should know that my closet actually used to be a bedroom, and this is just the built-in space.  I actually have this view to inspire me




This room is now homework central, and the perfect blog work area.  All my clothes, jewelry and products are within arms reach to plan my next posts.  It might be sensory overload though.  I have so many ideas now, I don't know how I'm going to get them all done and find time to finish organizing this dual work and play space.

I'm really back in the black and grey groove again.  The color combo and some of it's components have been on replay for the last two weeks probably helping me through this transitional period.  The boots, the bag, and the over-sized watch are comfortable and easy, and so is the hair curled for texture and then pulled up.  I know it's only two weeks, but I'm happy that I haven't fallen into that working from home in my pjs thing yet.  Having to do the school run is probably a big part of that.