Facecare

Honestly, so many things…and that makes me wonder what I’m doing now that will make me cringe in the future, ha ha ha!

A couple have been relatively recent, like not washing my hair every day. This was during the phase when my hair was long and caramel brown with blonde streaks, and so to help retain the color and keep it from getting too dry, I would try to see how long I could make it through the week without washing my hair. Some weeks I’d go four or five days without washing it.

On the one hand, this saved me SO MUCH TIME in the morning because I could just do my hair on day one, and then not really have to do it until after I washed it again, so my hair styling time was like one minute in the mornings, which was FANTASTIC.

Also, not having to spend the time in the shower washing and conditioning was great too, but ya know…eventually I just got tired of dealing with an itchy scalp and greasy-feeling roots, and I slowly got back into the habit of washing it every day. This really kicked in when I started working out consistently. Now the thought of having even one-day roots grosses me out.

I also went through a spell where I was wearing full-coverage base every day — primer, foundation, color corrector, concealer, powder, the whole nine yards. It looked great in pics! — but dang, girl…it was WORK. I think at that point I was blocking out at least 45 minutes just to put on makeup.

Now I rarely wear full-coverage base because I can’t tolerating feeling like I’m wearing a ton of stuff on my skin, and the thought of wearing full-coverage all day, every day makes me go YEEOUCH!

And, of course, there were the many questionable beauty decisions I made in the ’90s. The one that haunts me the most is plucking all my eyebrows away!

How about you? What’s something beauty related you used to do that makes you cringe now?

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 closely do you follow trends?

Not very closely, at least according to my makeup bag and my wardrobe at the moment, ha ha ha! I’m finding that classic style on all fronts tends to suit my life at this point in time. I do love to read about trends, though, and was kinda thrilled to find out that skinny jeans are allegedly back in style.

2. Something about the early 2000s that you loved?

I was in my 20s and living in San Francisco, and it felt like there was so much possibility in front of me. It was a fun time to be young in the city!

3. Something about the early 2000s that you loathed?

I had a really hard time with all the uncertainty in my life at that time. As much as youth is celebrated in our culture, I remember having a very difficult navigating work, friendships, relationships and growing up in general.

4. How much would your pet enjoy riding in a pet stroller?

Rosie would hate it, LOL! She loves being outside, but when she’s out and about, she needs a little bit of freedom. I can already see her hissing and lashing out and innocent passersby, sigh.

5. Something that you are on a mission to figure out?

I would like to figure out how to eat a high protein breakfast without it becoming tedious. I get really tired of eggs quickly, and things like sausage or bacon don’t sit well with me early in the morning. There’s always Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and protein shakes, but they get old really fast for me, too. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

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 closely do you follow trends?
2. Something about the early 2000s that you loved?
3. Something about the early 2000s that you loathed?
4. How much would your pet enjoy riding in a pet stroller?
5. Something that you are on a mission to figure out?

Striking poses like he was striking fear into his competitors…as if he actually had any.

Domination — that’s the word that springs to mind when I think of Tabs.

Model. Genius. Boss. Majestic maestro of magnificence.

He was…Mr. Perfect.

For Connor Claire, he was there from the beginning. He was her first best friend.

Guarding the neighborhood…

Then Rosie came along, and she was…different.

She’s always had a lot on her mind, like particle physics…

And picnics. Also brunch.

Of course, she also does a little modeling on the side, mostly to fundraise for her scientific endeavors…

And her music career…

Marnie, our newest employee, is still kinda-sorta learning the ropes.

Let’s just say it’s a work in progress… 😂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

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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. Which foreign language would you like to speak fluently: French, Spanish or Chinese?

Spanish because it would be useful for where I live in Northern California. So many times people looking for help have come up to me in stores or walking down the street to me if I speak it, and I always wish I could say yes. I only know a handful of words, though.

2. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?

Oh my goodness, breakfast for dinner for sure! I once had dinner for breakfast once out of desperation, and I had a terrible stomach ache all day.

3. Pick a job: bookshop owner, makeup artist or a dog walker?

Dog walker, but I’d specialize in small-to-medium sized dogs because hello, big dogs equal big poop, LOL!

4. What’s the secret to having a good day?

I think a big part of it is having the ability to let whatever is bothering you at the moment go. Also, you know what I’ve found also really helps? Assuming that people are coming at you with the best intentions.

5. Which would you rather buy for yourself: liquid lipstick or liquid liner?

I’ll take the liquid liner, please. I need a new one!

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. Which foreign language would you like to speak fluently: French, Spanish or Chinese?
2. Breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast?
3. Pick a job: bookshop owner, makeup artist or a dog walker?
4. What’s the secret to having a good day?
5. Which would you rather buy for yourself: liquid lipstick or liquid liner?

I can’t get over how much Tabs liked carbs! It was crazy. It didn’t make any sense to me. He was a carnivore! — so why did he get more excited about a zinnia flower, a croissant or a piece of toast than a piece of cooked chicken?

The only thing I can think of is that his old dry food (Hill’s Science Diet) contained whole grain wheat and other veggie fillers, which I didn’t think twice about at the time, but then a few years later Tabs was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and his vet said he should lay off the carbs.

After a while, he progressed to low glycemic grain-free Nutrisca crunchies and grain-free wet food, which he ate…reluctantly.

Well, he loved his nightly wet food (mostly Sheba Paté, but sometimes he got $$$ ZiwiPeak), but I don’t think he loved it as much as he used to love regular Fancy Feast, which has wheat in it to make that delicious gravy.

Over the years, I asked a couple different vets why some cats like to eat grass, other plants and flowers, and they weren’t sure. I guess there are different schools of thought. Some vets think cats do it as an instinct to clean their teeth, because the plant fibers can get down in there between their teeth and gums, or to supplement their diet with certain nutrients that they don’t get from meat, or to force themselves to barf, because it helps them clear out their digestive system. Even wild cats do it.

I don’t know the reason, but I do know that Tabs was a fiend for grass. He’d eat grass and flowers till he barfed every chance he got.

Rosie, on the other hand, has very little interest in grass, carbs and other plants. She craves meat! Yup, especially chicken and turkey.

It’s weird. How about your cats? Will they eat greens if left to their own devices, or are they full-on carnivores?

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. Paint a pumpkin or carve a pumpkin?

Carve it!

2. Candy corn or candy apple?

Hmm, not sure. I guess the candy apple. At least I’d get fiber!

3. Cozy sweater or comfy boots?

Comfy boots!

4. Fall movie or fall football?

I’ll go with the movie. Something sweet and fun and not too scary.

5. Visit a pumpkin patch or a haunted house?

I’ll take the pumpkin patch, ideally on a cool day when it’s not too hot.

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. Paint a pumpkin or carve a pumpkin?
2. Candy corn or candy apple?
3. Cozy sweater or comfy boots?
4. Fall movie or fall football?
5. Visit a pumpkin patch or a haunted house?

One year on a very special Labor Day, Tabs gave the employees of Tabs the Cat Industries LLC the day off…

I know! Obviously, this came as a shock because Labor Day was normally not one of the holidays the company observed because Tabs preferred to interpret the phrase “Labor Day” as meaning “a day to labor,” rather than as a day to celebrate labor…by taking a day off. 🤔

Even though I basically ran the office on a day-to-day basis, it was hard to question the boss. He was, after all, the most successful plus-size kitty supermodel in Novato, California, history, so he obviously knew what he was doing.

Even though Tabs didn’t encourage taking time off from work (he was a workaholic, after all), there was one thing he did encourage…

Fashion!

He always dressed to the nines, and he liked to see his employees do so too.

Whether it was through clothing, jewelry or crowns, there were always humans and cats playing dress-up at the office.

Yup, it was a fun place to work. 🤗

Nowadays, the office isn’t as “spicy” as it once was, but Rosie and Marnie have been getting gussied up more often than usual. Like today, Rosie had four wardrobe changes!

That cat is definitely improving her style. 😄

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Isn’t the juicy orange color of these New Balance shoes so fun? I wear a lot of neutral clothes (grays, blues, beiges and taupes, so boring but totally practical for me right now), but when it comes to accessories like shoes or bags, I love a pop of color.

My feet have been mad as hell at me lately (sore arches in the morning, ugh), which is their usual signal that it’s time to get some new footwear, which is why these New Balance 574s are my newest shoe love! I bought them on the recommendation of a stylish podiatrist I follow on Instagram.

I’ve never owned a pair of New Balances, so I was pleasantly surprised when they were super comfy right out of the box. These shoes required no break-in time whatsoever, which is where I’m at in life. 🙂

I’m hoping that they last a while, although the same podiatrist who recommended them also recommends swapping out your shoes every six months, which is kinda crazy to me! My inner cranky Asian mom insists I wear them for at least two years, while the other side of me that wants happy feet (and loves to shop for shoes) is like, “YES, GIRL!”

Anyway, if you’re looking for a cute casual shoe that’s super comfy to walk in, these are great!

They also come in neutral colors, too, if bright orange isn’t your thing. I do think that orange and red combo sets a lovely fall vibe, though!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy Saturday! What are you up to on this long holiday weekend?