So I have 3 things on Etsy now, and this is one of them! It's one of my favorite necklaces that I own and I made a second one to sell. I realized that my photos of products don't look as professional as they should, so that is something I am going to work on! I am also going to try to post 3 new necklaces this week! And maybe a couple more of the star charm bracelets.

What do you all think of them? If you have suggestions, I would love to hear what they are!!

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday!! EEK!! I don't remember exactly when I started on Kaboodle, but I think I was like 23! I feel so old! But not in a bad way really. I'm pretty excited for 27 and 2011! I like odd numbers. :)

So my plans are to go to the MSPCA valentines fund raiser sale to get a bouquet of flowers...but if I don't make it over there, I will just go to a flower stand nearby and get a bouquet. I also want to go to our favorite coffee house "Pavement" for a cafe au lait and a pastry.

My parents are coming in from CT and we are going to go to the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts), which I've been dying to go to ever since I moved back to Boston a year and a half ago. It's stupid that I still haven't gone, but now that I am done with art school, it will be super amazing to see works I recognize, and paintings by artists who I learned all about. There is also an American art wing with the Arts and Crafts movement, and some historical art. I'm excited. I hope they have some Tiffany on display. And anything Art Nouveau, or Stickley!

Are you all into art? Fashion is such a display of art, in my opinion. Learning about it was SUCH an inspiration. I CAN'T wait to see it all!!!! There is also an exhibit about Chinese tattoo art which should be very cool.

After that we were planning to go to my favorite italian restaurant in Allston, a hole-in-the-wall TREASURE called Carlo's Cucina Italiana. It is amazing! There is a section of Boston called the North End which is littered with authentic Italian restaurants, pastry shops, and gelato places, but... this place in good old Allston is seriously one of the best in the city! Can't wait!

After that I want to go back downtown to where I live and over to a gelato place called Bon-Bon. They have EVERY flavor of gelato you can imagine. Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint, Coconut, Banana, Pineapple, Hazelnut, Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Raspberry.... you can even get half and half! It's AMAZING. They have a cute presentation too... http://bonbonsite.com

So I am very excited about taking my parents there! The next day I think we are going to a crepe and Belgian waffle place (authentic of course, not an American-Belgian waffle!) where my sister's boyfriend and his parents are meeting us for breakfast.

Then Sunday night is the big symphony concert! I am a little nervous because I still need to practice a little... but I am excited! I did pretty well at our last rehearsal despite not having much time to practice. My stand partner is totally pro, and so is the woman sitting behind me. I just went to a show at the new Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science (Boston) and she was one of the violinists on the recording! (So neat! I saw her name go by during the end of the screening!)

Oh- and!! I got tickets to see one of my FAVORITE composers/musicians Yann Tiersen- he did the soundtrack to Amelie! He will be in town next Wednesday!!

I seriously can't wait for all of this stuff! I'm sooo excited!! Hopefully after my birthday, if I get some moola, I will be able to get my kiln to make FABULOUS and AMAZING rings for my etsy page!!!

I already have some requests from coworkers, but I've been putting them off because you truly need a kiln to make the piece strong enough for normal wear.

I have a bunch of sketches I'm ready to put to the test so... yay. I want to do some super extravagant pieces too to show at galleries! It might be hard since they will be kind of small...but still! FUN!

Since I have the same b-day as Abraham Lincoln, maybe I should make a "log cabin" ring. Hehe.

I'm rambling... just soo excited for tomorrow!

Ok I am actually a little scared about being 27. My life is going by in a flash!!

Excellent new finds and how to have a LOW MAINTENANCE super polished look.

NYC LIPSTICK. Holy crap. Who ever thought the cheapest lipstick at the drug store would be THE BEST EVER?

Try RETRO RED. This stuff is bright cherry red, does not bleed, and STAYS ON. It does kiss off but still looks perfect. I layered this with SHEER RED from NYC (I had to go back and get another color) which made it a little deeper, but Retro Red takes the cake on so many levels.

When I get up for work in the morning, I usually take so long waking up that my showers last forever and I only have a few minutes to get ready or I will be late.

Here's what I started doing (this weekend!)

As soon as I get out of the shower I put my hair up in a towel. I put on Oil of Olay complete moisture for sensitive skin with SPF all over my face, and neck. Next I take my MAC liquid concealer and squirt a tiny blob in my hand. I moisten a makeup sponge/wedge under the water and ring it out, and then I use the concealer to go around my eyes first, and then spread it over my face like foundation. It's very light and covers well but does not look like I have anything on at all.

As soon as my skin feels drier, I use bronzer under my cheek bones and I blend it down to my jaw line. It's very subtle and darkest right below my temple. This takes about 1 minute to do.

Next I use this old Maybelline makeup my grandma gave me that she never opened which has a light dusty beige. I put that all over my eye lids with an eyeshadow brush and then I use a dark brown/purple around the crease to give my eyes a classic smoky eye look. That takes about 2 minutes for both steps.

I use black eyeliner along the bottom outside edge of my eyes and I blend it towards the lash line and toward the inner corner of my so the line has no hard edges. (It is not very thick). This takes about 2 minutes tops.

Next, curl eyelashes and apply black mascara. (2 minutes).

Last I apply an spf lip balm and finish it with NYC's RETRO RED or SHEER RED lipstick.

The whole face look is complete and takes about 10 minutes.

Last, I take my hair out of the towel. It's a bit wavy so I personally don't even comb it. I take two bobby-pins and cross them pinning back my hair at my temple. (It is parted in the front.) Then I use my fingers and gather my hair in a medium/high ponytail, and I flip my hair into a loop bun but then I spread the ends of my hair around it so the wavy strands sort of fall naturally. It's a quick updo and it looks pretty good for taking about 2 minutes to do.

That is IT! A complete look in 12 minutes OR LESS.

Here I am at the good will store in my new $10.00 canvas and foam pumps and tube dress. I was trying on a faux fur coat that they wanted $75.00 for. Sadly it was 2 sizes two big but it did look so nice.

I am so excited about my lipstick find, and my new fast makeup look. I just got  a new PERMANENT job FINALLY!! And honestly, appearances count.

I just couldn't wait to share that with all of you!! I never thought NYC was a good brand but I just wanted a cheap red to play with and it was the best decision I made all weekend! (Even members of the band I went to see kept looking RIGHT at me in the SOLD OUT House of Blues audience IT HAD TO BE my red pout.) Tube tops get a lot of attention too though. If you ever want to purposefully  turn heads, it's the winning combo!!

<3