(My succulent sculpture from WaterStone Succulents.)
Ahh, this week was a million times better than last! Everyone is healthy, we resumed our normal schedule, I cooked some fun, easy meals, and we joined the local recreation center. Things feel back to normal around here, aside from the icy weather that blew through yesterday. But it’s warming up, and we have a relaxing weekend planned, with a few errands to run and maybe another movie date night, too. Here are a few things that caught my attention this week.
Beloved Austin DJ Larry Monroe passed away last Friday. He kept me company for many years as I drove home from my evening teaching jobs.
A Kabul restaurant owner is remembered by the NPR reporters who knew and loved him. A very touching story if you’re able to listen.
Sweet photos of mothers and their day-old babies.
Edward Hopper-inspired photos using small dioramas.
Jemima Kirke on women in art. (She’s an artist in her own right.)
A young entrepreneur goes way beyond the lemonade stand.
Richard Linklater’s new coming-of-age movie, filmed over 11 years.
Imaginary pop musicals and their posters. (Katy Perry’s in there.)
Decorating with Pantone’s 2014 color, Radiant Orchid.
And I’ve made this chicken recipe twice recently, it is that easy and delicious.
Have a wonderful weekend!
(Lots of contrast going on here.)
This is one of the outfit posts that I almost didn’t share. I wore this outfit last weekend to run errands and eat lunch at my favorite Chinese restaurant. It’s a remix of this outfit, and I wanted something more casual and less dressy, so I added the chambray shirt. I know denim shirts are always classic, but they will forever feel like a throwback for me, since I wore them a lot in the 90s, usually paired with a long, floral skirt and chunky sandals. In a way, I’m definitely channeling an earlier time, I think.
So there’s the contrast of the denim with the brocade pants, the juxtaposition of the bricks against the bushes, and then there’s my hair. I’m in the early stages of growing out my grey hair, and it’s obviously beginning to show. I’m going out on a limb when I say it’s more noticeable in pictures than in real life (at least to me), and I’ll admit that I still cringe a little when I see those greys poking through. But I’m stubborn, and I’m doing this, so here we go.
Saturday, when I wore this outfit, I felt pretty and put-together in a casual way. And then I looked at these pictures and felt really dowdy. I guess that happens sometimes, and not every outfit is a major win, which is okay. I think, as my hair continues to lighten, I’ll need to choose darker colors, maybe jewel tones, to add contrast and interest, and I’m finding myself drawn to more modern, structural pieces these days. I think that chambray shirt is a little too “suburban mom” for my taste.
Lesson learned.
I’ve been practicing more product photos, and even though I said I’d learn to use my camera in 2013, we all know I lied. Sorry about that. But this year, I’m actually kind of interested in using different settings and I’m teaching myself a few editing techniques in GIMP, too. I played around with some products over the weekend, and photographed the facial items I use each morning and night.
Since I have oily, acne-prone skin, I follow a regimen prescribed by my dermatologist that seems to be working well. I use boring old cleansers that keep my skin free of bacteria, and then apply a topical antibiotic in the morning and a retinoid at night. Those aren’t really fun to talk about, so I didn’t photograph them. But I thought my moisturizing products might be helpful to share, in case they can work for you, too.
(My morning routine.)
In the morning, I wash my face with Acnefree Oil Free Acne Cleanser
(Nighttime moisture products.)
At night, I remove my eye makeup with Almay Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover Pads
This routine is working for me now, and I’ll tweak it as I experiment with the morning moisturizer and deal with the changing weather.
