Facecare

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Shrimp or crab?

Crab, but it can’t be imitation, and it has to be fresh.

2. Yoga or pilates?

Both are equally as challenging for this very out-of-shape lady at the moment. LOL! (Been a rough 12 months.) I’ll pick yoga; I could use a good stretch.

3. Something that makes you feel sentimental?

When my phone brings up baby photos of Connor or old photos of Tabs before he got sick. My heart swells up every single time.

4. What book are you reading at the moment?

Nothing at the moment, boo. I need a good one. Got anything to suggest? I would like something not too heavy or scary.

5. Something you wish you said no to sooner?

I wish I would’ve said no to almost everyone who asked me out when I was a teenager and in my early 20s. I realize now that when I was that age, I didn’t know how to say no to people when they asked me things which made me uncomfortable, so I often ended up in relationships which I didn’t want to be in. I was very much a people pleaser until recently. Better late than never, I guess.

6. What’s one of the first signs of spring where you live?

I know spring’s just around the corner when the white cherry blossoms in my neighborhood bloom. Can’t wait! I love spring much more than I used to when I was younger. I think it’s the sense of rebirth and the world coming to life again.

7. A gadget that you’d like?

An air fryer that doesn’t take up a lot of space on my kitchen counter that’s easy to use and not hideous to look at.

8. What liner are you wearing these days?

I bought a beautiful bronze pencil from MAC a couple weeks ago, Skip the Waitlist. It’s a twist-up gel liner, aka my favorite thing in the whole wide world.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Shrimp or crab?
2. Yoga or pilates?
3. Something that makes you feel sentimental?
4. What book are you reading at the moment?
5. Something you wish you said no to sooner?
6. What’s one of the first signs of spring where you live?
7. A gadget that you’d like?
8. What liner are you wearing these days?

It’s the Super Bowl!

As you know, before Tabs rocked the world by reinventing kitty supermodeling, he entertained millions as a professional cat football player. In fact, he won the Kitty Bowl a record eight times, making him more accomplished than even Tom Brady.

Yes, Tabs was quite the cat athlete.

Today’s game starts in a few minutes, and while Tabs is no longer here to watch the game with me, I’m sure he’ll be watching from up above.

This happens to also be the last Sunday before Valentine’s.

Marnie and Rosie are both more interested in that aspect of the day than the football.

I can appreciate that. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. What would you rather do on a rainy day: go to the movies with a friend, cozy up at home with a good book and a cup of tea, or go on an adventurous and fun (and very wet) hike?

Right now movies with a friend sounds like it would be fun! Of course we’d have to have all the snacks – popcorn, M&Ms and bubbly water.

2. What game show would you absolutely dominate: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy or The Price Is Right?

I’d have the best chances at The Price Is Right. Can’t say I’d dominate it, though. Hahaha!

3. Do you wear more makeup now or less makeup than you did a year ago?

I wear a little less these days, but that’s mostly because of time constraints. I miss having a good 15 or 20 minutes to paint my face. Now I just kinda slap it on and hope for the best.

4. How’s your mental health these days?

I feel steadier than I’ve felt in a while, and I think I’m finally reaching the point where I can push myself to do a little more. Last year really kicked my butt (long story short, I had a health scare, and now things are better), and it’s been taking a long time to recover from living with that fear for over a year.

5. ‘80s colorful mascara or ‘80s style bold blush?

Um, both? They’re both so fun. I obvs wouldn’t rock it to work. Well, maybe I would. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. What would you rather do on a rainy day: go to the movies with a friend, cozy up at home with a good book and a cup of tea, or go on an adventurous and fun (and very wet) hike?
2. What game show would you absolutely dominate: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy or The Price Is Right?
3. Do you wear more makeup now or less makeup than you did a year ago?
4. How’s your mental health these days?
5. ‘80s colorful mascara or ‘80s style bold blush?

It has rained for almost a week!

I’m getting kinda over it, but Tabs sure would have loved it.

That cat LOVED the rain.

His favorite thing about it? Rainbows. 🌈

Mind you, I also like the rain.

But Tabs didn’t just like the rain. He loved it!

I think what he liked about it was all the movement. My theory is that with his heightened cat senses, he could actually track the falling of individual raindrops.

Rosie, however, is not a big fan of rain.

In fact, she doesn’t particularly enjoy anything about it.

Scratch that — I’m mistaken. There is one thing about rain she agrees with Tabs on.

Rainbows are fantastic! 🌈😺

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Pick one: colorful shoes or a colorful sweater?

Let’s go with the colorful shoes. Life is too short for boring footwear!

2. Which would you rather never have to deal with again: nosy neighbors, parallel parking, burnt food or washing your makeup brushes?

Once, I caught a neighbor going through our trash. So I could do without the nosy neighbors, LOL!

3. Have you ever crimped your hair?

Yes, but sadly, I never got to do it in the ‘80s (I was too young and missed all the cool stuff).

4. Who does the grocery shopping in your household?

Mostly me, but El Hub will do it if he has extra time and/or if I’m busy with Connor doing extracurriculars.

5. Liquid liner: yes or no?

One hundred percent yes! Ideally it’s a pen with a flexible fine tip.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Pick one: colorful shoes or a colorful sweater?
2. Which would you rather never have to deal with again: nosy neighbors, parallel parking, burnt food or washing your makeup brushes?
3. Have you ever crimped your hair?
4. Who does the grocery shopping in your household?

(NOVATO) Today in cat science news!

Rosie brought the full force of her four PhDs in science to solve a canine conundrum.

The dilemma?

Well, she started a dog training service, and she’s been trying to train Marnie, but sadly, it has not gone well.

Rosie, being the cat genius she is, figured out that the key to making Marnie more receptive to instruction is to wear her out. To that end, Rosie got to work.

From her lab at the Cat Academy of Sciences, she developed a new cutting edge treadmill that automatically adjusts its speed to efficiently tire out a canine jogger.

So far, results have been good. Marnie has been jogging on the treadmill for 24 straight hours. At this rate, it looks like she might — might — start to get tired in a few days. 🙂

Hard to say, though. Marnie is on the track team at the University of Derp, so she has pretty incredible endurance.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. Mountains or desert?

Mountains, ideally somewhere with a million shades of green and a river or a lake. Sure, my allergies will probably be crazy, but at least my heart will be happy.

2. Something you’re doing in 2025?

Making decisions from a place of optimism and not fear. So often I needlessly worry about all the things that are involved and every little detail that could go wrong. I don’t want to be held back by fear anymore. Life is too short.

3. How easily do you cry?

I’m 100% a crybaby. You know what, though? It’s not always because I’m sad. If I’m angry or frustrated or feeling anxious, my body releases whatever it needs to release through tears. It’s kind of a pain in the butt.

4. Your go-to shampoo and hair conditioner these days?

I’ve been buying Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Shampoo and Conditioner in extra large bottles since the fall. Lice outbreaks have been happening at all the elementary schools, and even though our pediatrician said that they typically slow down in the winter, I’m super paranoid about it.

5. An instrumental piece of music you love?

“Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Mountains or desert?
2. Something you’re doing in 2025?
3. How easily do you cry?
4. Your go-to shampoo and hair conditioner these days?
5. An instrumental piece of music you love?

Thank you for being a friend.

Guess who just discovered The Golden Girls?

When she’s not doing science, Rosie’s been watching reruns of one of my favorite shows ever. Now she’s trying to get Marnie into her little Golden Girls gang because Rosie’s obsessed with them.

Marnie’s kinda into it, but to be honest, I don’t really think she knows what’s going on. 😹

Rosie is Sophia, and Marnie is Rose from St. Olaf (obviously).

To complete the group, Rosie has been trying to find a good Dorothy and Blanche. She put something up on Nextdoor this morning, but she doesn’t have a lot of faith in the cats in the neighborhood.

Do you happen to know any cats or dogs who’d fit the bill?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

For decades now, I’ve proudly proclaimed myself as a crazy cat lady, and last Saturday, I found my people at Mini Cat Town in San Rafael.

Mini Cat Town is a non-profit adoption safe haven for kittens in the Santa Rosa Plaza, which is about 45 minutes north of where I live in Marin County. Cats roam freely in a big room and interact with cat lovers and potential adopters.

To visit with the kitties, you pay a small fee to enter, and then you get 30 minutes to hang out and play.

How I managed to leave without adopting a kitty or two or five or 10 is honestly a mystery to me, LOL!

I was immediately drawn to a handsome orange tabby boy named Teddy! Just look at his face. He’s a super meow-dal, for sure.

He was very sweet, fun and outgoing, and when I picked him up he immediately melted into my arms, just like Tabs used to do.

I couldn’t help but wonder for a moment if Tabs was trying to send me another soul cat. It sorta felt that way, but then I remembered my constant state of feeling overwhelmed with the current kids in my life (human and fur children), and I came back to reality.

But then I also thought, “What’s one more cat when you have a house full of animals already?” Hahaha! It’s really very hard not to bring all the sweet babies home.

Anyway, there are multiple Mini Cat Town locations all across the Bay Area. I highly recommend a visit to one if you ever get the chance.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007).

1. How late do you stay up at night?

If it’s all working out to plan, then I’ll be asleep by 9:30. Typically, though, I’m asleep between 10-11. And if I’ve got insomnia, then I’ll see you at the witching hour, ha!

2. Last photo you took?

Connor and I were at Nordstrom Rack yesterday to look for a dress for the father-daughter dance, and we saw a very colorful men’s t-shirt with a swimming white tiger swimming. It had sequins on it, too! I couldn’t help but take a picture of it because it make me chuckle.

3. What’s your scent of the day?

Wearing an old fave today, Dolce & Gabanna The One.

4. Are you a person who likes to snack throughout the day?

Not really; my body wants to eat three meals. The only thing, though, is when I get hungry, it hits REALLY hard, so I’ve been trying to mitigate that by eating snacks at 10 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. So I guess I’m trying to become a snacker?

5. Pick one: try a new dish or stick to something you know you like?

Try a new dish!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. How late do you stay up at night?
2. Last photo you took?
3. What’s your scent of the day?
4. Are you a person who likes to snack throughout the day?
5. Pick one: try a new dish or stick to something you know you like?