tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67574678297992110152024-03-18T23:16:06.818-04:00Spilled On The Kitchen TableMy place to forget about hot stoves and dirty dishes. Somewhere to chat a bit about what's going on in my world... The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. So, why not pull up a chair, grab a Cup O' Joe and lets "dish".Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-3655361111431246712016-06-09T22:28:00.001-04:002016-06-09T22:28:28.660-04:00Spring 2016 Walmart Beauty Box! (Unboxing and First Impressions!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hello My Fellow Life Lovers and Beauty Junkies!</span></b><br />
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<i>(I feel like I need to warn you right up front that this is a bit of a long post, so if you don't have at least 5 minutes to spare, you might just want to bookmark it and come back later? But, <b>please</b> do come back! I'll be sharing a lot of first impressions as well as a few recommendations for items that I've tried! If you're not busy at the moment, pull up a chair, grab a cuppa joe, or a glass of wine and I'll spill it all out on the kitchen table for ya!)</i><br />
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So... It's that time again! Another quarter is here and with it, comes the Spring edition of the Walmart Beauty Box! I haven't done an unboxing in quite a while, so I thought it was about time. I've gotta tell ya... I really enjoy this li'l box of goodies. It's actually kinda ridiculous that I get so giddy when it arrives in the mail. I mean, it's not like Publisher's Clearing House suddenly showed up at my door with a big fat prize check or anything, right? (hmmm... wouldn't that be nice?)<br />
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Ahem... Uh, sorry about that. I got a little distracted, planning just exactly how I would <strike>blow</strike> appropriate the money, if I was ever lucky enough to win a major sweepstakes like that ...<i>or maybe the lottery?</i><br />
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Oh lordy! There I go again. Drifting off into a land of fancy cars, grand homes located all over the world and well, you know, the necessities in life, right? I mean, you can't honestly tell me that you've <i><b>never</b></i> given even a little thought to what <i><b>you</b></i> would do, if you suddenly came into an obscenely large amount of cash, can you? Yeah... I didn't think so. So! What would <b>you</b> splurge on? Let me know in the comments!<br />
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OK. Let's get on with the Spring Beauty Box, eh? If you're unfamiliar with this subscription box, I'll give you the details throughout this post. And here's a link to the site, in case you'd like to give it a go yourself. <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://beautybox.walmart.com/" target="_blank">Walmart Beauty Box</a></span></b><br />
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<i>(While I do have a couple of referral links </i><i>here on the blog </i><i>that allow you and I to receive a discount or some type of perk for using it, (like Ipsy and Scentbird) I wanted to state, up front, that this is NOT a sponsored post and I am NOT using a referral or affiliate link for the Walmart box. </i><i>If you do decide to use the link that I'm providing above to get to the site, </i><i>I won't receive any compensation, or points, or anything like that. I just figured that I'd save you all a few keystrokes. LOL)</i><br />
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You know, for $5 <i>(which is technically just the shipping cost)</i> this is an awesome way to discover new products, or products that you might already know about but you just haven't had a chance to pick up for yourself. I've been subscribed for going on 2 years now and just about every box that I've received, has contained (at the very least) one thing that I'd been really wanting to try, but I just hadn't gotten around to going out and getting it.<br />
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The box comes quarterly (every 3 months) and on average, there are usually 5 to 6 deluxe or full sized products and anywhere from 4 to 6 samples of everything from makeup to perfume to skincare and even health and beauty aisle items, like toothpaste, deodorant, body wash and all of that good stuff. Most of the smaller samples come with pretty decent coupons for the products, too. This is currently only a quarterly subscription, but I really wish that it was monthly. I'm so happy with this box that I'd happily sign up for that in a heartbeat!<br />
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Plus, unlike the ever elusive Target Beauty Box, you <b><i>can</i></b> actually subscribe, so that you don't have to constantly check back on the website at the beginning of every month, hoping that you'll see when it goes up for sale so you can grab one before they're sold out. Those boxes usually sell out in the first couple of hours and they don't do a second run or a restock. I've been trying (unsuccessfully) for over a year to get my paws on one! Grrr! But, I digress. Back to the box I <b>do</b> have, eh?<br />
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You'll often see a couple of products that are from the same brand, like shampoo and conditioner, or a couple of different formulas of the same brand's moisturizer in this box. Sometimes, you'll have one full sized item from a company's line and then a card with a foil packet sample of another one of their products. And that card generally has a coupon for one or both of the products on it. I've found that they're usually surprisingly generous discounts, too. As you'll see in the photos, this box had a Neutrogena, Olay, Aveeno kind of theme to it and I've gotta say that I'm not the least bit unhappy about that, because I already love many of their products!<br />
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This <b>Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick</b> (#140 Pink Grapefruit) is not only one of the items that I've tried from this quarter's box, but I instantly fell<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>in love with it! It's a beautiful shade of slightly blue toned pink and it's so creamy and moisturizing, but not at all sticky like some creams or balms can be. I think it's just perfect for the Spring and Summer & I know that I'll be rockin' this one a lot! Plus, they're only like... $7! For me, that beats a $20+ high end lipstick every time!<br />
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To be honest with you, I've been more than a bit obsessed with all of the "new" matte liquid lipsticks for a while now, so I've been completely ignoring all of my creamy, balm-ish or moisturizing lip products.<br />
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Because of that, I doubt that I would have even looked at this lovely lippie on my own. I would have passed right by it in the lipstick section and never thought twice about it! Seriously. But now, I'm chomping at the bit to go get more shades for Summer!<br />
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Can you believe how gorgeous this is? And for such a buttery, creamy lipstick it has excellent opacity that just glides over your lips. The best part is that it has some excellent staying power, for what I would compare to say... a NYX Butter Gloss. It feels terrific on the lips, to boot! Winner all around!!<br />
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I was interested to see a concealer/corrector sample (also from Neutrogena) in this box, but I won't be trying this one out. I always avoid anything that's labeled "anti-acne" because about 90% of products labeled as such contain salicylic acid, which I know is fantastic for acne prone skin, but it's way too harsh on my super sensitive skin & would aggravate the nasty (Malar) rashes that are common when you have a disease like Lupus.<br />
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So, that brings me to the next sample - also from Neutrogena. (see what I meant about a theme?) Well, ever since emilynoel83 (from Beauty Broadcast channel on YouTube) talked about the <b>Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Foundation</b> back in the early part of last Winter, I've had my eye on it as a possible (and much less expensive) Summer swap out for my beloved Bye Bye Foundation from It! Cosmetics.<br />
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The Healthy Skin Foundation costs between $12 and $16 for a 1 fluid ounce bottle, depending on where you purchase it. You can get it for considerably less if you're lucky enough to find it on sale, or if you have a coupon or a discount code. It's available at Ulta and pretty much any drugstore or retail establishment that has a makeup department. It's also available online at several locations.<br />
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OK. Brace yourself. The Bye Bye Foundation is... $65 for just under 2 fluid ounces. Yup. You read that right. It's not a typo. But... A little bit goes a loooong way and I promise you that it does exactly what Jamie Kern Lima says it does on her infomercials and on QVC.<br />
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I've seriously tried a gazillion foundations over the past few years and with my super sensitive, extremely dry skin, it's not easy to find one that will cover the angry red blotches and welts from the rashes I get, without causing me even more irritation and/or inflammation. I wore the It! CC+ w/SPF 50 for about 2 years and then the Bye Bye Foundation launched. When I say that it literally changed my life for the better, I'm not joking. So, yeah... It's been worth every penny to me. But if I can find a comparable replacement for a fraction of the price, you can bet that I'm gonna be all over that!<br />
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Their <a href="http://www.neutrogena.com/category/moisturizers/hydro+boost.do?nType=1" target="_blank">Hydro Boost Water Gel</a> is my go-to moisturizer all Summer long, because it absorbs so completely and doesn't get oily on those super hot and humid days the way a lot of heavier moisturizers often do. Plus, it's packed with really "good for you" ingredients.<br />
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Next up, we have a couple of Olay samples. I haven't tried the <b>Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream</b>, because I'm not sure that it's a product that I'm interested in using down the road. If I do decide to try one, it will be the <b>Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream</b>. I've yet to find a product that makes a noticeable difference in the lovely (NOT) jowls that have begun to appear along my jaw-line these last few years. If I give it a go, I'll come back here and add an update to let you all know my thoughts on it!<br />
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I do enjoy getting perfume samples now and then and I definitely prefer the little glass bottles that have a spray-top, like this <b>Vera Wang Embrace</b> sample. I have to admit though, that I don't get as excited about getting them, now that I have my subscription to Scentbird. Scentbird gives you 20 times the amount <i>and I'm going to try <b>not</b> to sound like a total snob here</i>, but the fragrance choices that you get from Scentbird are a bit higher end than the "drugstore" brands that you get in these boxes.<br />
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Now, when I use the term "drugstore" I'm in no way trying to disparage either the products or the names behind them. I mean, I <b><i>love</i></b> Vera Wang... As a matter of fact, when our daughter was married in 2013, her wedding dress was from Vera Wang's "White Collection" and it was absolutely breathtaking! And it just goes without saying that more then a couple of my "holy grail" makeup products are from the drugstore.<br />
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Bottom line: This Vera Wang fragrance is very nice, but it has a tad too much of vanilla and not quite enough of the floral and citrus notes - for my personal taste. That being said, if you're a vanilla gal, I think you'll absolutely love this one!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Source: Google Images - (not my daughter)<br />Vera Wang White Collection Style# VW351011</span></td></tr>
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OK. Moving along.....<br />
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I do like to use a whitening toothpaste because I'm an avid coffee and tea drinker. I've tried a few, including my current brand (Crest 3D White), but this <b>Colgate Optic White</b> is one of the brands that I haven't used yet, so I was very happy to see it in this box! I'll come back and post an update later, after I've had a chance to give it a good test!<br />
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Ahhh... Good ol' RoC! I currently use the RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum under my daily moisturizer as part of my daily skin care regimen and I've been more than happy with the results. I've only used this <b>RoC Multi Correxion 5-in-1 Neck and Face Cream</b> a few times, so I don't feel that I can give you an honest review just yet. All I can say, is that if it ends up giving me similar results to the serum, I'll be a very happy camper! I've lost a fair amount of weight over the past year and much to my horror and dismay, I've been noticing a bit of what I call "chicken neck" (crepeiness) when I look in the mirror these days! Yikes!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this new cream will firm that area up a bit.<br />
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I'll be honest about this <b>Banana Boat SPF 30 Sunscreen</b>... I use makeup that has a physical sunscreen of 50 built right into it and I really don't expose the rest of my body to sunlight - if I can help it. With Lupus, one of the things that happens to you is severe photosensitivity and since I'm already a super pale skinned lass of Irish descent, I've been beyond sensitive to the sun my whole life. So, needless to say, I avoid the beach like the plague and if I'm swimming in or sitting by a pool, I stay in the shady parts, even if that means moving my chair or myself around as the sun moves throughout the day. That being said, this will get passed on to my husband, or to one of my friends.<br />
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This <b>Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer</b> is awesome! I don't know if I can chalk it up specifically to the Monoi Oil in this product or not, but I've been using it in the shower for the past couple of weeks and my skin is smoother and more hydrated than it has been in years! Especially my legs. Once I'm out of the shower and I've patted my skin dry, I follow up with a dry oil spray that also contains Monoi Oil and I'm good to go! Now, the real test will happen during the Winter months, but if it's working this well now, there's at least a chance that it will be better than the multitude of products that I have been using during past Winters.<br />
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I've used Cetaphil products on and off for years and I've always been happy with them. I still use their daily facial moisturizer from time to time, but I haven't used this <b>Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser</b> since I discovered my Purity Made Simple by Philosophy. It's a bit pricey compared to lots of other cleansers on the market, but I've had such truly amazing results with the Purity, that I'm willing to spend the extra money for it. But, if you're looking for a good cleanser that will gently and thoroughly remove makeup and excess oil from your skin, that won't dry you out or break the bank, I highly recommend this!<br />
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I honestly think there has been some type of moisturizing cream or lotion from <b>Aveeno</b> in just about every Walmart Beauty Box that I've received, since I've been subscribed. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a VERY good thing! I <b>adore</b> the Aveeno brand and have used loads of their products for years and years. I will definitely be testing out both the <b>Absolutely Ageless Daily Moisturizer</b> and the <b>Restorative Night Cream</b> that came in this box!<br />
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Their Soothing Oatmeal Bath packets saved my poor daughter from scratching herself raw when she came down with chicken pox at the age of ten. (wow... I just realized that was 22 years ago!!!!) The poor girl was covered from head to toe with huge, red, welts and her face was so swollen, she was unrecognizable. I can still vividly remember her coming into our bedroom and waking me up in the middle of the night - <i><b>many</b></i> nights - and asking me if I'd "put some of that stuff in the tub for me, please?" Now that she's a mom herself she uses the Aveeno Baby products, almost exclusively, on our precious grandson.<br />
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I have at least one of the small sample or travel sized tubes of some type of an Aveeno lotion or cream in my purse at all times and I have giant tubes of the Ultra Healing and Intense Relief hand creams in darned near every room of the house. Having an immune system that's as crazy as mine, means that I wash my hands about 30 times a day. (at least!) If it wasn't for Aveeno's amazing products, I'm sure they'd have shriveled up and fallen off by now!<br />
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So, <i><b>do I recommend</b></i> the Aveeno brand? Well, Yes! YES! <b>YES! </b>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">YES! </i>In my humble opinion, when it comes to your skin, whatever it is that you might have a need for, Aveeno has a solution!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed this unboxing! The Summer box should be here any day now, so I'll try to do a post for that one as well. Oh, and...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't want to <b><i><span style="color: red;">give</span></i></b> it all <b><i><span style="color: red;">away</span></i></b>, (ahem...) but there's something kinda big coming up here on the blog <i style="font-weight: bold;">very soon!! </i>So keep checking back, or better yet, make sure tosubscribe to Spilled On The Kitchen Table so that you don't miss out on any of the fun!</span><br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-87045108595021594432016-02-17T06:19:00.000-05:002016-02-17T08:22:23.948-05:00Pura D'Or Update and Review<br />
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Hello, My Dear Friends!<br />
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It's been a while since I began testing out these products from Pura D'Or, but as my long-time friends and readers know, life and Lupus have this uncanny way of slowing me down, or more often, having me down for the count for long periods of time. That being said... A promise is a promise and I did say that I would test these Organic Argan Oil infused hair and body products and come back with a review, so here it is! Finally, right?!<br />
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(In case you missed my original post about these products and how I obtained them, just click <a href="http://www.spilledonthekitchentable.com/2015/10/pura-dor-challenge.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and then come back for the review! - <i>Or, you could read this and then go check out the original post - I'll leave that totally up to you.</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzf8mLwGmbLyJBuXiA8oeO01Uai2HHgnrCT6W3Yu-bR628-MmqNGJoQRrrCrJStdilT1vAoAIKhIl_rIEpMdjTocT_GgKbawBsx69TJvhmWRBI-v8eVbwvalqQgbZ0mJ-0Rj2z5ZuAAk/s1600/DSCN1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzf8mLwGmbLyJBuXiA8oeO01Uai2HHgnrCT6W3Yu-bR628-MmqNGJoQRrrCrJStdilT1vAoAIKhIl_rIEpMdjTocT_GgKbawBsx69TJvhmWRBI-v8eVbwvalqQgbZ0mJ-0Rj2z5ZuAAk/s640/DSCN1373.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Products used:</b> Pura D'Or Premium Organic Gold Label Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo, Pura D'Or Premium Organic Argan Oil Conditioner in Lavender & Vanilla and Pura D'Or 100% Organic Argan Oil for Body Face and Hair</span></td></tr>
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I've lost a significant amount of hair over the years. Now, you'd probably never believe it based on the way it looks now, but my crowning glory was long and full and quite strong when I was growing up. Even when I cut it into a shorter, very "Olivia Newton John type" of style in the late seventies and early eighties, there was still a lot of it! So... what happened?<br />
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<b><i>(I apologize if this is a bit on the TMI side of things, but I truly want to share my "hair journey" as thoroughly and openly as possible and explain why my hair is in the condition that it is. Other people's hair loss situations might differ from mine.)</i></b><br />
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My "issues" began when I was in my late twenties, after over a year of poking, prodding and several embarrassing scans that were ordered and performed by all manner of doctors and technicians, I was diagnosed with (what was at that time) a rare illness called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. (PCOS/POS)<br />
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It was so rare at the time, that my GYN, who had been in practice for several years, as well as another doctor, who happened to be the director of reproductive endocrinology at a well known and respected medical college and teaching hospital, had barely heard of it at that point.<br />
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My condition persisted for several years and was severe enough that my entire reproductive cycle came to a complete stop. I had multiple cysts on both of my ovaries and one that eventually evolved into a pre-cancerous tumor, that resulted in the decision to remove my right ovary in 2010. During those years, my hair's volume reduced by at least 40%.<br />
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According to Wikipedia: "<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;">PCOS is the most common </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disorder" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px; text-decoration: none;" title="Endocrine disorder">endocrine disorder</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;"> among women between the ages of 18 and 44 {and can cause a number of symptoms including</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgenic_alopecia" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px; text-decoration: none;" title="Androgenic alopecia">androgenic alopecia</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;"> (increase hair thinning or diffuse hair loss)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;">.}</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;"> It affects approximately 5% to 10% of this age group.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 17.5px; line-height: 28px;"> It is one of the leading causes of poor fertility."</span><br />
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Then, in my late thirties, <i>for reasons still not understood by my doctors to this day</i>, my cycles all returned pretty much to normal and at least <i>some</i> of the hair that I'd lost during those earlier years, started to grow back in. Of course, it was never again the luxurious mane that I'd had in my youth, but it was definitely an improvement!<br />
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A few years passed and much to my dismay, along came more health issues and a year and a half ago, after more poking and prodding and testing by specialists, I was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called <a href="http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus" target="_blank">SLE Lupus</a>. As fate would have it, Lupus is also a disease that can bring with it a significant amount of hair loss.<br />
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So, here I am again, struggling on a daily basis, to find the best solutions that I can, to my rapidly thinning, fragile hair. And lo and behold, along came the good folks at Pura D'Or with the offer of a possible solution! I read as much as I could about the company and it's products and was impressed enough that I agreed to try them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So, now that you know a little bit of the "back story" let's get on to what you're all here to see! The product review!!</span><br />
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I used both the <b>Gold Label Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo</b> and the <b>Organic Argan Oil Conditioner</b> for a period of <b>90 days</b>. I used them <b>exclusively</b> and <b>between 2 and 3 times per week</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjDshbNyM3o/Vr0pRfgOa-I/AAAAAAAAU4M/WKjLpVwc3Os/s1600/Hair%2BDryer%2BSetting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjDshbNyM3o/Vr0pRfgOa-I/AAAAAAAAU4M/WKjLpVwc3Os/s640/Hair%2BDryer%2BSetting.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I never use a brush on my hair when it's wet (and rarely when it's dry) because the bristles on most brushes can cause hair breakage and I certainly don't need any more of that than I already deal with! I also use only the lowest settings on my blow dryer and I do not use heated styling tools, such as curling or flat irons, also in order to avoid any further possible damage to my hair.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My hair had also been in a ponytail for about 10 hours before taking it down for these photos.</i></span></td></tr>
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<b>As you can see by the differences in the photos above and below, the Pura D'Or products did seem to help prevent a fair amount of hair loss from occurring and I definitely believe that they gave my hair quite a bit of added fullness and body.</b><br />
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<i>(The hair in the bottom right frame of each photo, is any hair that came out in my comb after getting out of the shower and <b>before</b> blow drying my hair)</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">My Opinion!</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Because it is important to me to assure my readers that the opinions that I share here are <b>100% my own</b>, I want to reiterate that what follows is <b>my</b> experience with these products and <b>I have not been influenced</b> by anyone else's opinion, or review. As is true in all things, a particular product might work a certain way for one person and then work in a different way for someone else. <b>If you try these for yourself, the results that you get could differ from mine.</b></span></i><br />
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That being said... I am happy to say with certainty (and with a completely clear conscience) that for me, the <b>Pura D'Or </b><span style="text-align: center;"><b>Premium Organic Gold Label Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo</b> and the <b>Pura D'Or Premium Organic Argan Oil Conditioner in Lavender & Vanilla</b></span> that were sent to me to try, <b>did exactly what they claim to do! </b>Only a small amount of each of these two products is needed to cleanse and condition my hair, so they last quite a long time, <b>making them a very economical choice as well</b>.<br />
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<b>I strongly recommend these products</b> to anyone who is looking for an organic, gentle, ingredient rich solution, to the cleansing and conditioning of fine, fragile thinning hair and/or a sensitive scalp.<br />
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Now, as for the <b>Pura D'Or</b> <b>100% Pure Argan Oil For Body, Face And Hair</b>, I must add that while I <i><b>did not</b></i> use it on my hair, (because <b><i>all oils</i></b> tend to weigh my hair down) I <b>did use it on my face and body</b> and I feel that it truly did an excellent job of keeping my skin feeling both <b>hydrated and soft</b>, <i><b>without feeling greasy or leaving any type of oily residue behind</b></i>. And as I stated about the hair products above, only <b>small amounts of the Argan Oil</b> do an excellent job of adding soft, supple hydration to the areas of my face and body where I need it, <b>so I feel that the price point is extremely reasonable!</b><br />
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I hope that you found these reviews helpful and if you have any questions or need clarification about the products themselves, how I used them, or anything else that I might not have covered regarding your particular needs, please don't hesitate to leave me your questions in the comments below. I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can!<br />
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Oh... And if you don't want to miss any of my future posts, please subscribe over on the right hand side of this page, or right below this post and you'll be sure to receive Spilled On The Kitchen Table right in your inbox, every time I have something new to share!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! I hope that you come by again for more chit-chat, hauls and reviews!<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Live Strong and Live Well!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mary</i></b></span><br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-50782370384565795092015-12-20T11:47:00.001-05:002016-01-02T19:29:39.746-05:00Scentbird! - Why I subscribed (and a review!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, My Beautiful Bloggy Friends!<br />
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Yup... I've done it! I've decided to take the plunge and pamper myself with another monthly subscription service. It's called Scentbird ...and so far, I'm loving it! Want to know why?<br />
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There are a few reasons that I decided to give this monthly subscription program a try. But, before we get into that, I want to state up front that <b><i>I do NOT have a contractual agreement of any kind with Scentbird or any of their affiliates. I pay for this subscription service with <u>my own money</u> and I do NOT receive any monetary compensation for posting about, or reviewing their products.</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>***</b></span>There is one little perk, similar to the type that you get with quite a few of these services, but I'll touch on that a little further down in the post.<br />
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OK. So, now that we have that out of the way - let's get to the "why" part of this, shall we?<br />
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1. I've always loved wearing perfume and enjoyed it when someone around me has noticed and said something along the lines of "You smell great!"<br />
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2. I've never been the kind of gal who enjoys wearing the same perfume all of the time. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but I've never had a "signature scent". (<i>Who knows... Now that I've subscribed, that might just change!</i>)<br />
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3. That being said, spending (what could easily add up to) hundreds of dollars a year on a new bottle of perfume every few months, just to keep my interest piqued, is simply <b>not</b> in this girl's budget.<br />
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4. I finally got tired of spending our hard earned money on perfumes that smelled great in the store - or on those little fold out cards in all of the fashion magazines - only to find out that the wonderful seventy dollar (or more) fragrance, smelled completely different when I actually spritzed some on and wore it all day. (and not in a good way!)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fn4rbT3LOBg/VkXlCrc5msI/AAAAAAAATPI/cVO5YW9tW64/s1600/Scentbird%2Bbottle%2Band%2Bbag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fn4rbT3LOBg/VkXlCrc5msI/AAAAAAAATPI/cVO5YW9tW64/s640/Scentbird%2Bbottle%2Band%2Bbag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, needless to say, when I heard about Scentbird I was intrigued! The process is pretty simple, really. I'll do my best to briefly explain how it works and I'll add a couple of short little videos from Scentbird at the bottom of the post to give you a more 3D perspective. (I promise... they're really quick)<br />
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Step 1. You start by going to the Scentbird website. (I'll tell you in just a bit, how you can get a <b>free month of perfume</b> by using my referral link!) When you sign up for the program, you have just a few simple things to do to get started.<br />
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Step 2. You fill out your email address, name and all of the usual information and you choose a password, just like pretty much anything you sign up for on the internet. You'll have the choice of a month-by-month subscription at the cost of $14.95/month, <b><i>or</i></b> you can choose a 3 month, a 6 month or a 12 month/full year subscription. I chose to go month by month, but you can cancel any of their plans at any time and for any reason.<br />
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<i>(You'll have to forgive me, but I can't remember the exact costs associated with the other plans at the moment. I do know that each one will save you a bit more money overall, depending on which choice you make - The costs for each plan are clearly stated on the website and just so you know from the get-go, if you do decide to go with one of these, <b>they will ask for full payment</b> for that plan, <b>up front</b>)</i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kNZR77Z7-gM/VkXbig1neWI/AAAAAAAATO8/BH7IWzzy-K8/s1600/Sccentbird%2BCropped%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="411" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kNZR77Z7-gM/VkXbig1neWI/AAAAAAAATO8/BH7IWzzy-K8/s640/Sccentbird%2BCropped%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next, you'll be asked to take a quick profile "quiz". This gives Scentbird a better idea about which types of scents you tend to like best, so that they'll be able to recommend new fragrances for you. But, never fear! You don't have to choose the perfumes that they suggest. As a matter of fact, you can choose exactly which perfume you'd like to receive each month in advance, by setting up your personal queue for <i>(at least</i>) 12 months in advance.<br />
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Now, keep in mind that neither the quiz, nor setting up a queue will lock you into those choices. You can go into your Scentbird account and change the fragrances themselves, or the order in which you want to receive them, at any time. The only exception to this, pertains to <i><b>the following month's fragrance</b></i>. You always have up to the 5th of each month to change <i>that</i> month's choice. But after that date, you're locked into the perfume that was next in your queue. However, the next month and months that follow can still be changed.<br />
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Scentbird carries literally hundreds of top shelf, designer fragrances and it can be a bit daunting at first, trying to decide just which scents you want to try, but you can narrow your search by using the chart at the top of the page that shows you many of the different "notes" used in creating a perfume. You can also search by designer, or by the actual perfume name, if you already have an idea of what you want.<br />
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Your first month's shipment (which comes in a glossy black bubble mailer) will contain one sturdy black plastic case/holder that contains a glass pump spray bottle of what Scentbird considers to be a 30 day supply of the perfume that you selected. I'd say that <i>for me at least</i>, it's really enough for a couple of months use. The only time that you might run out before your 30 days are up, is if you fell so madly in love with the scent that you went a little crazy and sprayed it all over everything in your house! LOL You'll also receive a little black "crushed velvet" style drawstring pouch to keep your perfume in, if you so desire.<br />
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The glass atomizer or spray bottle just pops in and out of the case and once it's in there, a quick twist of the case will raise and then lower the insert so that it is flush to the top of the case. That way, you won't ever have to worry about the little bugger "going off" in your purse accidentally!</div>
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After the first month, you'll receive your selection in the same little black bubble mailer with the shredded paper packing fluff, but without a case. (unless you've ordered an extra case or two) Extra cases come in black, or in a few other fashion colors most of the time, but Scentbird also offers limited edition cases and even pretty patterned ones now and then for special occasions. The last time that I<br />
checked, the cost of each extra case was $12.95. (US) They also offer boxed gift sets throughout the year that from what I've seen so far, consist of three different fragrances.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3wqI-lQI5Q/VnXQGVpx8eI/AAAAAAAAT5E/8zzSulpg9eI/s1600/DSCN2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c3wqI-lQI5Q/VnXQGVpx8eI/AAAAAAAAT5E/8zzSulpg9eI/s640/DSCN2323.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is one of the current gift sets that's available for men.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>***</b></span>So, I'm sure that you've probably been waiting to hear about the <b><span style="color: lime;">*</span></b><b>free perfume</b> that I mentioned above, right?!<br />
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<b>This is how it works:</b> Just head on over to the right side of this page and click <a href="https://www.scentbird.com/r/d/maryfrasier" target="_blank">HERE</a> on my "referral link" (the Scentbird logo) and you'll be whisked away to the Scentbird site. Since you've used my link, if you should decide to sign up for one of their subscription plans, you and I will <b>both</b> receive a <b><span style="color: lime;"><i>**</i></span>free perfume</b>! You can then pass <b>your own referral link</b> on to friends and get the same little perk! I call that a win/win situation!<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: lime;">**</span></b>This free month is available to <b>new</b> Scentbird subscribers <b>only</b>. Once you have paid for your first month, you will receive your <b>second month's selection</b> FREE of charge!</i><br />
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Another benefit to signing up for Scentbird, is having the ability to purchase full sizes of the designer fragrances you love, at awesome discounts! How does that happen? Well... a few days after you've received your selection for the month, you'll receive an email from Scentbird, asking you to do a little review of that fragrance on their website. <b>You are never obligated to do a review</b>, but when you love a particular fragrance and your review reflects that, they take notice and they'll usually send you an email, offering you the option to purchase the full sized version of that perfume at a pretty decent discount! <i><b>There are also other special offers that Scentbird will send you emails about throughout the month.</b></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH7CjUZSg1I/VkXlDIRGZmI/AAAAAAAATPY/8lLdc6R1VWs/s1600/scentbird-for%2Bmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oH7CjUZSg1I/VkXlDIRGZmI/AAAAAAAATPY/8lLdc6R1VWs/s640/scentbird-for%2Bmen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking for a unique holiday/birthday/just because gift for the guy (or guys) in your life? Well then you're in luck, because there's also a Scentbird subscription option for men! (The link is on their website)</span></td></tr>
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So.... Now you know how Scentbird works and just a few of the reasons that I decided to sign up! Are you thinking about checking it out? If the answer is "yes!", I'd love to know what you think of the idea and why you feel it would work for you, so please give me a shout in the comments below!<br />
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Check out these <b><i>very short</i></b> videos to see a bit more about Scentbird!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Thanks so much for stopping by!</i></span></center>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Mary</i></span></center>
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-44905905898357352942015-10-27T12:49:00.001-04:002016-01-02T21:01:04.006-05:00e.l.f.& It! Cosmetics Haul!<br />
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Howdy Friends!<br />
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With the exception of a half way decent day here and there, I've been down for the count and out of commission for the past several weeks. There just seems to be something about the transition of the seasons that puts my brain and my body into flare mode. My pain levels spike and my activity levels and alertness all but disappear. It's very much like <a href="http://www.spilledonthekitchentable.com/2015/06/living-with-lupus-crash.html" target="_blank">"the crash"</a> that I wrote a post about a while back, but in this case, I'm not getting payback from a period of over-exertion. It just happens. Go figure! <i>I'm not sure that I'll ever get this Lupus thing down. I don't honestly know that anyone really does...</i><br />
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In the meantime, I just thought I'd share a couple of the purchases I've made recently! I'll be giving you some first impressions here and then some more educated thoughts and/or reviews on the products in an upcoming post.<br />
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I have to say that the items from this e.l.f. haul that I've used so far, are all winners. I did do a quick swatch of the "Mad For Matte" eyeshadow palette for you ...and as for what I think so far? Well, let's just say that I use at least one or two of the shadows in this palette, pretty consistently.<br />
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So for now, please enjoy the eye (lip and face) candy! LOL<br />
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I've gradually become a big fan of e.l.f. Cosmetics. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to compare their products point by point to higher end brands, but in my very humble opinion, for a drugstore makeup that sells for what I think anyone would have to call very reasonable prices, they put out a really decent product line. What I like most about them, is that they're adding to and improving the quality of their products all the time. They've even started a skin care line and I decided to give a couple of the offerings from that category a shot this time around.<br />
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I'll elaborate further on these in a future post, but I have to give e.l.f some major kudos for these matte lip colors. I only have one issue with them and that's their current packaging. It's a good idea from a concept perspective, but the product is a bit too loose and wobbly inside the twist-up case. So much so, that every time I use them, I'm careful not to exert much pressure because I'm afraid that the tip of the lipstick will snap right off. So, if anyone from the company happens to read this (yeah, right Mary lol) please reconsider how you've chosen to package these very lovely matte lippies!<br />
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Being an ultra fair skinned Irish lass, I'm not really into the super bright or extra dark colors for my lips, so I was pleased to find that they had a decent selection in the more nude, or natural range.<br />
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A lot of matte lipsticks out there right now are intensely deep red, burgundy, or plum shades and of course there are the sassy and sultry trending fashion shades like blacks, blues and dark purples that look amazing on the younger gals (and guys!) but can tend to be a little bit freakish on very pale, middle aged women like me. Not that I haven't see my share of more mature women rocking these trends, but I'm just not one of them.<br />
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The color sticks are nice. They give a subtle glow wherever you use them. I'm not used to using cream products on my cheeks, but these go on quite nicely and blend easily.<br />
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I haven't used the Lock & Seal yet, but I have a couple of loose pigments that I've received in Ipsy bags and I'm looking forward to giving it a go!<br />
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I really didn't think that anything would ever come along to make me switch from my It! Cosmetics Brow Power, but I'm actually liking this more than I thought I would. It's definitely something that I'm sure I'll use when I have extra time to put my makeup on, because it's more of a three-step process... but I'm impressed.<br />
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Haven't tried either of these yet, simply because I have similar products from other lines that I want to use up first.<br />
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Considering the fact that I am an admitted brush snob, this little contour brush is really pretty awesome!<br />
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Perfect size; no shedding; soft, yet densely packed bristles; solid ferrule and cleans up beautifully! That definitely passes all of my tests!<br />
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I'm a liquid or gel liner gal and this is a pretty good one. The tip could be just a tiny bit less rigid for my taste, but overall, not bad at all.<br />
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OK, so this isn't the most highly pigmented palette I own, but the shadows are quite buildable and very silky. I was surprised to find that there's not at all the amount of fallout that you usually see with even some higher end matte shadows.<br />
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I can't say that it quite equals my It! Naturally Pretty palettes, but I do use several of the shades on a regular basis.<br />
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Sorry, these aren't the best swatches, but I'll do some that are more detailed in a review post. There are actually two shadows before the dark tan shade, but in the light that I was working with and my very fair skin, they were a bit too light in color to show up. (The swatches are in the same order as the palette and they're the first two shadows)<br />
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I have to admit that I haven't used any of the nail polishes yet. Not because I don't like the colors... It's really just that I have so many open polishes that I really need to use up or "retire" soon.<br />
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And now... the It! Cosmetics kit that I purchased, specifically because I was dying to try their "Bye Bye Foundation". Anyone who knows me well, is very much aware that I am already an It! Cosmetics addict. I've worn the CC+ Cream and the Celebration Foundation for a few years, but let me just say right up front, that I'm beyond happy that I did, because this "no foundation" foundation, is some pretty amazing stuff! Especially during the Summer months.<br />
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In an upcoming post, I'll be adding more of my thoughts, along with some photos of the coverage it provides. I'll also share my opinions on the rest of the products in the kit and do some swatching. For the moment, this is what came in the kit:<br />
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This particular kit came with two bonus items that were stored in this frosted vinyl bag. The gifts were quite nice all by themselves and the bag should come in handy for traveling!<br />
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You can see that lovely brush right away...<br />
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But, what is it that's wrapped in the tissue?<br />
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I already have this "Heavenly Luxe Double Ended Foundation and Concealer Brush" in my collection, but when it comes to It! Cosmetics brushes, you truly can't <b>ever</b> have too many!<br />
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Unwrap the tissue, et voila! Aside from the Bye Bye Foundation, what I was most excited about was this Vitality Face Disc. I have a similar palette from another It! kit with slightly different products in it, but I'd been hearing so much about this face disc through YouTube and other social media, that I just had to experience it for myself! Briefly speaking... I am NOT disappointed!<br />
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I love the fact that Jamie always includes a thorough and very helpful booklet with all of her kits. In case you aren't familiar with the brand, <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237379" target="_blank">Jamie Kern Lima</a> is a former news anchor and the founder of It! Cosmetics. She also happens to be their best - and bubbliest - spokesperson! Just click on her name (above) to read an article from Entrepreneur.com about how she started the company and got her big break on QVC.<br />
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Along with the Vitality Face Disc, the products that are <i><b>new to me</b></i> are: The Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Anti-Aging Micro-Powder, the Bye Bye Foundation, the Vitality Lip Flush and the Bye Bye Waterproof Concealer. I already own and use the Brow Power, No Tug Waterproof Gel Liner and a different incarnation of the Hello Lashes Mascara.</div>
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The Hello Lashes has a very nice, not too wet formula, that lengthens and adds volume ...and it holds a curl like nobody's business!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry about all of the out of focus photos in this post. I just didn't have the time to take them over for this "haul" post, but I'll be doing reviews etc. in upcoming separate posts on each of these products and I'll (hopefully) have much better photos to go along with it.</td></tr>
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Haven't used this powder yet but I'll be doing some close-ups in my review post, so... beware! Yikes!<br />
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Oh my! I won't go on about it now, but this Vitality Lip Flush is simply lovely! I <b>will</b> be buying this product again and again - you can safely bet the farm and just about anything else you'd like to, on that declaration!<br />
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Definitely one of my go-to liners! And they are not kidding when they say waterproof!<br />
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Hands down, THE best brow product I've ever used... and I tried quite a few of them before finding this one! I believe it would be safe to say that this is my holy grail brow product!<br />
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I've been using It! Cosmetics Bye Bye <i>Undereye</i> Concealer for some time now and I love it, but this might just be my new favorite! It has the same amazing coverage, but they've thinned out the consistency a bit (which has been one of the major issues for a lot of Bye Bye Undereye's critics from day one) and I think it's better suited to be used as a stand alone, or foundation replacement on those days when you're feeling like a full coverage foundation or a BB or CC cream aren't necessary.</div>
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Well, here it is, in all of it's splendor! Stay tuned for a full review in the not too distant future, with swatches and before and after photos included! Those of you who are easily frightened by, or uncomfortable with, close up photos of slightly enlarged pores and/or wrinkles, might want to avoid that one! Ha!<br />
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But seriously, please do come back and visit me again. If you are curious about either e.l.f Cosmetics or It! Cosmetics, I promise you that whatever I share here on the blog, will always be very thorough and very honest.<br />
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Thanks so much for stopping in to say hello! If you have any questions or any specific things you'd like me to address in either the e.l.f. review and swatch post or the It! post, please leave them in the comments below. I'm really very happy to oblige in any way that I can! <br />
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In the meantime, stay as beautiful as you are... both inside and out!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mary</i></b></span><br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-23643447128982311862015-10-01T15:05:00.001-04:002015-10-27T11:08:35.293-04:00Pura D'Or Challenge<br />
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Hello my friends!<br />
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It's been a long and sometimes challenging Summer and I have all kinds of good stuff to share with you, but I wanted to let you all know about one particularly interesting challenge that I've agreed to first!<br />
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The very kind folks at Pura D'Or have generously sent me their argan oil rich Premium Organic Anti-Hair Loss Shampoo and Healing Conditioner, as well as their 100% pure, cold pressed Argan Oil for hair, face and body to try out. As many of you know, I have very fine, thinning hair and super sensitive skin, so I have to be very careful about what I put on my face and what I use to cleanse and condition my scalp and hair.<br />
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After reading about this company and checking out several other reviews by trusted bloggers and vloggers, I agreed to accept their challenge! Of course, the fact that their products are organic, plant based and gluten free, with no parabens, SLS or other harmful chemicals played a big part in my decision. I'll be giving my review of their products a full 60 days, so that I can be completely sure of the results and give an honest and fair review, but I'll be periodically updating all of you at different intervals during the process. So stay tuned!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">**</span></b> This is not a sponsored post. The above products were sent to me by the manufacturer, but I am not being compensated in any way for my review(s). Any and all opinions are 100% my own.<br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-31245436363086988822015-06-04T01:57:00.001-04:002015-06-04T01:57:51.635-04:00May 2015 Ipsy Unbagging!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Howdy Ladies!<br />
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Running late again posting my May Ipsy Glam Bag, but as the saying goes, better late than never, right?<br />
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If you'd like to learn more about Ipsy, you can see my April unbagging post where I wrote out a pretty detailed explanation, by clicking <a href="http://www.spilledonthekitchentable.com/2015/04/april-2015-ipsy-bag.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>!<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: red;">If you'd like to go right to Ipsy and subscribe to get your own monthly Glam Bag, just click <a href="https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=cpuy" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</span></i></b><br />
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Let's get to it, shall we? This month's theme was "Hey Jetsetter". The bag itself, is a cute canvas style bag and I believe it was made by the same company that recently made a line of limited edition makeup bags for Sephora. They sold for $24 each and had different sayings and screen prints of makeup items on them.<br />
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They were all sold out the last time I was on the site. but you never know... a bag that was as popular as this series seemed to be, might just show up again... so it couldn't hurt to stop by Sephora and check it out!<br />
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This was the first item that I saw because it was outside of the makeup bag. Why? Well, because it's a full sized can of this Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo! I've received sample sizes of hair sprays and other similar products in previous Ipsy bags, but this was a real treat!<br />
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It's a nice product and it does what it's supposed to, but for a brand that retails for about $25 a can, I expected this to be THE best dry shampoo in the world! Don't get me wrong I'm glad that I got a chance to try it, but I think I'll just stick to my Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo. It costs (at the least) $20 less and it really does an amazing job!<br />
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Next, I pulled out this Luxie Beauty Tapered Blending Brush! I'm <b><i>always</i></b> happy to receive makeup brushes in my Ipsy bags and lately, they've been doing a nice job of including some type of brush in 3/4ths of each month's lineup of available products that are sent out.<br />
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That doesn't mean that you'll definitely get one of them in your bag, but even if you don't get a particular item that you wanted in any given month's bag, you can always go to Ipsy and purchase it for a decent discount over retail, or in some cases if you've accumulated enough points, you can get it that way. I've also noticed that I've received certain popular items later on, in a following month's bag.<br />
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I've never had a brush of any kind from this brand before and I couldn't find the retail price for it online, but it's a nice brush with what appears to be synthetic bristles that are soft and so far, they haven't done any shedding. I do wish that it was a little more domed in shape, but as blending brushes go, it works just fine and it's washed up nicely.<br />
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The item that everyone received in the May bag, was this (I'd say half-sized) Urban Decay Glide On Lip Liner Pencil in Ozone (invisible/clear) and 2 little sample pots of their new Revolution High-Color Lip Gloss. The 2 shades that everyone received were "Failbait" - a very pretty hot pink and "Bittersweet" - a surprisingly pigmented, but not over the top purple shade, that seems to look pretty nice on most every skin tone.<br />
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I honestly haven't had a chance to try any of these products yet, but I've seen several unbaggings where fellow Ipsy subscribers have been very happy with both the Lip Pencil and the Lip Gloss. The full size lip pencil retails for $20 and comes in 17 shades. The full size lip gloss retails for $22 & comes in 14 shades.<br />
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My favorite (by a landslide) product in this month's bag, was this bellapierre Gel Eyeliner Pencil in Ebony! LOVE this liner! I am a liquid and gel liner gal from way back and this one is just gorgeous! It's full size and it retails for between $11 and $13.<br />
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It goes on so smoothly, with no tugging or pulling and it stays put ALL day! I totally forgot to swatch this for you, but I assure you that it's a nice, opaque black and it doesn't irritate my very sensitive eyes one bit! This is a definite repurchase for me!<br />
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This final item (now that I think about it) was a tie for my favorite items from this month's bag. The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream is from a brand that I trust. (Read about them <a href="http://www.theorganicpharmacy.com/about-us/meet-our-founders" target="_blank">HERE</a>) It retails for $88 for 50ml. This sample is 10ml.<br />
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With the skin issues that I have as a symptom of my Lupus, I have to be VERY careful about what I put on my face. If I use a product that is irritating or toxic to me in any way, I don't even want to tell you how bad it can get. Even the most pigmented liquid, cream or powder makeup will not cover the ugly, angry rash and/or welts that will show up almost immediately. Um... let's just say that it ain't purty!<br />
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This is a lovely, mild, seriously moisturizing face cream that has a light, natural scent and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy or in any way irritated. Here's the site's description:<br />
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">"For all skin types. A light but nourishing cream with purifying Rose and nourishing Rose Hip blended with Ginger, Gotu Kola and Marigold to promote cell regeneration, reduce broken capillaries and make the skin glow."</span><br />
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So... that's what I received in my May Ipsy Glam Bag. Hopefully, I'll get the June unbagging posted long before the month of June is over. LOL<br />
<br />
Live Well,<br />
<br />
Mary<br />
<br />
<br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-14087484211881839702015-06-04T01:56:00.001-04:002015-06-04T01:56:58.053-04:00Living With Lupus - The Crash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howdy!</span><br />
<br />
If this is your first time here, Welcome! If you <i><b>came</b></i> here specifically for <i><b>this</b></i> post in particular, I would assume that you either:<br />
<br />
A) Have SLE/Lupus<br />
<br />
B) Wonder if, or think you might, have SLE/Lupus OR<br />
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C) Live with, or care for someone with SLE/Lupus<br />
<br />
Those of you who've been reading this and/or my other blog, <a href="http://www.goaheadtakeabite.com/" target="_blank">Go Ahead... Take A Bite!</a> for a while, already know that I have Lupus. And if you've read certain posts in particular over the years, you've also learned a bit more about just what <a href="http://www.lupus.org/" target="_blank">Lupus</a> is <i>and</i> about how long and sometimes unbearable the road to a "formal" Lupus diagnosis can be. Lupus is an <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseases" target="_blank">autoimmune disease</a>, which (of course) means that it affects the immune system and because of that, it usually piggy-backs a whole host of other debilitating health issues along with it.<br />
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If you're one of the dear friends who go <i><b>way</b></i> back to the very beginnings of my life as a blogger, you also know that the cold Winters here in the Northeast can be the absolute worst time of the year for someone with these crazy health issues. ...and how that aspect of the illness has kept me away <i>(at times a month or often more)</i> from my blogs for long periods, without allowing me an opportunity to let you all know ahead of time that I'd be taking a break. I'm sure it goes without saying, but these absences also spill over into other areas of my personal and internet life. I certainly don't have the emotional or physical strength to keep up with the various social media networks that the blogs and I are a part of, but one of the most difficult and upsetting parts of this illness for me, is how it affects the amount of time that I'm able to spend with family and friends.<br />
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Someone told me a long time ago that a chronic illness can be like a death. A death of self. And like any death, it's something that you had to mourn. Now, that might sound pretty extreme or over the top to people who don't live this way. Trust me... It would have sounded pretty "dramatic" to me, too... before I got sick. But it's the best advice that I could give to <b><i>anyone</i></b> who asked me what the most important things were that they needed to do, post diagnosis of <i><b>any</b></i> painful and debilitating chronic illness, in order to start accepting what is happening to them <b><i>and</i></b> that it's the best way to to help you start to move forward.<br />
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Once you are able to wrap your brain around those things - and that is NOT an easy thing to do - you also need to prepare yourself to accept the fact that more often than not, even the closest people in your life will likely never fully understand how sick you really are.<br />
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That very wise person also told me that when you're chronically ill, your world shrinks. OK... It doesn't <b><i>literally</i></b> shrink. Obviously, it's a metaphor. But... that doesn't make it any less difficult to deal with. You don't do the things that you used to do and you don't often see the people that you used to see. And no matter what people might think, <b><i>it's not because you don't want to</i></b>.<br />
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Believe me... I miss the people in my life that I used to see on a regular basis <i><b>more than I can say</b></i>. And it <b><i>kills</i></b> <b><i>me</i></b> that I now miss out on so many things that I used to do. I wish at least once <b>every</b> day, that I could be the person I used to be. But, <b><i>I can't</i></b>.... because I have a chronic illness that has robbed me of all of those things.<br />
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If you've been diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness, I'm sure you've either found, or are in the process of finding, a medical provider to help treat your illness. But I'll offer up one more piece of advice... Make sure to find a good mental health practitioner/provider and utilize their skills to the fullest. Being in pain is hard, but being isolated a great deal of the time can foster both depression and anxiety and that can be as bad, or worse, than the physical pain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source Google Images</td></tr>
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So. Getting back to the subject in the title of this post... This past Winter was a little different for me. It's not that all of those nasty health issues didn't raise their ugly little heads. If anything, it was (and continues to be) quite the opposite.<br />
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<i><b>But, that being said,</b></i> there were factors other than the usual Winter time issues that helped to play a part in my absence from the blog at the end of last year and the beginning of this one. But what made it a different experience for me was that the last few weeks of 2014 and the start of the New Year was a time that I wouldn't have changed a moment of. Nope. Not even the "less than pleasant" ones. Not for all of the material riches that this world could offer.<br />
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OK, so what in the world could make me say a crazy thing like that? Have I reached a point where I've become a masochist? Or, maybe I've just finally lost my mind? Nah...<br />
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You see, back at the beginning of December, I excitedly and anxiously hopped on a plane and headed South, so that I could be present for <b><i>and at</i></b> the birth of our new grandson! (who, btw also happens to also be our <b>first grandchild</b>!!) He was born in the second week of the month and if you've been through this joyful experience already, I'm sure I don't have to explain that I had already made plans to stay on for a while after he arrived, in order to be able to spend time loving on the new baby and to also do my best to help out in any way that I could, while the new parents were getting used to being a family of three. <i>(I guess I should make that five, when you count their furry kids!)</i><br />
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The Hubbs, (aka Grandpa) had to work for those first couple of weeks, but he drove down little before Christmas, so that we could all spend the Holidays together. I'm sure that it's fairly obvious, but having a brand new, sweet smelling snuggly soft member of the family, is by far THE best Christmas present EVER! Believe me when I say that we really hated to leave, but we begrudgingly headed back North a few days into the New Year.<br />
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So how did all of this change the impact of what the Winter months are usually like for me? I'll do my best to explain, in the best way(s) that I know how.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jN8Dfpestvk/VVscxRvzenI/AAAAAAAAO4w/KlWfkl2jbgM/s1600/baby%2Bcrawling%2Bvector.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jN8Dfpestvk/VVscxRvzenI/AAAAAAAAO4w/KlWfkl2jbgM/s1600/baby%2Bcrawling%2Bvector.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source Google Images</td></tr>
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If you live with any kind of chronic and/or physically debilitating illness, you learn very quickly that payback is inevitable any and every time you push or exert yourself more than you should. So, of course, I experienced some serious payback once I returned home. And I've been dealing with this long enough to know fully well that it was coming, long before I ever made the decision to go. <b><i>But really... can you blame me for going anyway?</i></b><br />
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You see... even when you're sick, every so often an event or an occasion comes along that is SO important... SO special, that you make the deliberate choice to willingly and very happily, push yourself beyond your usual limitations; all the while knowing that there will be consequences. You do it, <i><b>not</b></i> because you're a masochist and certainly <i><b>not</b></i> because you have a need to impress anyone with some kind of proof of your so called "strength". You do it because it's <b style="font-style: italic;">so much more important</b> and well beyond worth, <b>any</b> level of payback that follows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aPmiCisqRI/VOUIn0PwR-I/AAAAAAAALMw/G_MX4uUumnc/s1600/Tired%2BWoman%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7aPmiCisqRI/VOUIn0PwR-I/AAAAAAAALMw/G_MX4uUumnc/s1600/Tired%2BWoman%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source Google Images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In a nutshell... The human mind can do some truly amazing things when the joys in life demand it. Unfortunately, these amazing things are often only temporary.<br />
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I can't speak to how others in my position deal with it, but in my case, I've taught myself to mentally (for lack of a better way to word it) go to a place where my brain works very hard to push the reality that I <b>have</b> a painful illness, as far out of the way as it possibly can. In essence, I'll will myself into what I suppose you could call a kind of temporary amnesia. That way, my brain then tells my body that it can pretty much do whatever it needs to do <i>and</i> that the pain associated with these actions, is more or less, an illusion.<br />
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Sound a little crazy? Yeah, well... keep in mind the fact that I also make sure that I have <i><b>and use</b></i> every possible tool in my "pain arsenal", in order to get through that period of time. Those tools include the usual suspects, like medication and grabbing as much rest as I can in between physical activities. It's surprising at first, what kinds of tools you also develop yourself along the way, that help you survive a particular situation. But, don't forget that every person who lives with a chronic illness is different and that the tools they use to get through a given situation are very personal to their illness and in turn, their experience with it.<br />
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Then, because (as I mentioned above) this thing that I do is strictly a temporary super power, once the experience is over, that part of my brain that has basically been on a self imposed hiatus, inevitably kicks itself right back into gear and clearly (often brutally) reminds my body <b>exactly</b> what it's been through. <b><i>T</i></b><i><b>his</b></i> is the point when my body wakes up from the oblivious state it's been in and <b><i>it reacts</i></b>.<br />
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I refer to this as "the crash". Yeah, I know... not terribly original, is it?<br />
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Definitions aside, believe me when I say that by my second day back home from that trip, I crashed. <i><b>And I crashed BIG!</b></i><br />
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I spent the next two and a half or three weeks, sleeping an average of 18 to 20 hours a day. On those occasions that I did awaken, <i><b>which altogether could be counted in minutes, not hours of awake time</b></i>, I was so fogged over and I hurt so much, that I was well... useless. I was able to make it to the bathroom, or to the kitchen for a cold drink, or maybe a nibble of something. But cook a meal? <b><i>Ha!</i></b> Do even a small load of laundry? <b><i>Not on your life!</i></b> Take a shower? <b><i>Um, maybe three times</i></b>, that I can recall.<br />
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My poor, sweet husband... heaven help him<i>,</i> has been through this kind of crash with me more times than I can even begin to count and he knows only too well, what it is that's going to happen when it comes. Luckily for me (and sadly for him) it's made him quite capable of taking care of the things that need to be done, like maintaining a clean work wardrobe and preparing meals for himself.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>...And that's when I start beating myself up.</i></b><br />
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No matter how many times we've been through this kind of crash over the last decade (plus), I always feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. <b>Always.</b> I tell him all the time that I'd never hold it against him if he decided one of these days, to just trade me in for a new unbroken model. Because in my mind, he didn't sign on for this. I mean, seriously?? Nobody would ever willingly sign on for <b>this</b>. At least that's what the never ending cycle of negative "self talk" keeps telling me. But, because of the <b>very</b> special heart and the incredibly loving soul that this man that I love with all of my heart possesses, his response is <i><b>always</b></i> the same:<br />
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<i>"Yes I did. Don't you remember? For richer or poorer, <b>in sickness and in health</b>, til death do us part? I <b>love</b> you and I'm in this for keeps. And you know damned well that you'd do the same exact thing for me, if the tables were turned."</i><br />
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And he's absolutely right. I would. <b>In a heartbeat.</b><br />
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In the grand scheme of things, being there for the birth of our grandson was just as amazing and just as wondrous as the moments that our own girls were born. As I said before, I wouldn't have... no, actually I <i><b>couldn't</b></i> have missed it. Not for the world.<br />
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And I now have a completely renewed perception of the how "things (<i>ya know, major</i> <i>things like <b>life</b> and <b>love</b></i>) come full circle". And I've definitely gotta say, that part of it is flippin' awesome!<br />
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Well, I believe that's about it... for now. Trust me. If I were to continue carrying on in the direction that this post has started to take me, I'd most certainly end up creating a big ol' puddle of salty tears, which would in turn ruin my makeup and quite possibly, short out my keyboard. ;)<br />
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Oh... and since I don't have any reasonable expectation that my Lupus is going away any time soon <i><b>and</b></i> there will hopefully always be <b><i>something</i></b> that happens in my life that's worth "crashing" for, I'm sure that I'll be posting more about both subjects, again. And again. And again....<br />
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If you live with a chronic illness, how do <i><b>you</b></i> deal or cope with "the crash"? I'm sure we all have our own little tips and tricks. Or maybe you are just beginning this journey and have questions that I might be able to help with. Say hello and let me know in the comments!<br />
<br />
<br />
Live Well,<br />
<br />
Mary<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-74789205322571228652015-04-30T16:40:00.000-04:002015-06-03T13:47:30.806-04:00April 2015 Ipsy Bag!<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Just a little note to my current friends and longtime subscribers: I have sorely neglected this blog for some time now and I'd really like to get back to posting here on a somewhat regular basis. That being said, since today's post is obviously makeup related, I wanted to clarify that I'm not planning on taking the blog to a place where I do <b>only</b> makeup and beauty reviews, hauls and unboxings, but since those things happen to be a part of my life <b><i>that I enjoy very much</i></b>, I will be sharing things like monthly Ipsy bag reviews, nail polish and lipstick photos and hauls and assorted other beauty and makeup related things. I truly hope you'll enjoy this new aspect of the blog as much as the types of posts <i><b>(ie. posts about my life and all of the good, bad and ugly that comes with it)</b></i> that I've been doing here since the beginning and will continue to do! ~ Mary</span><br />
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I'm really sorry that I'm posting this SO late, but as some wise person said a very, very long time ago, "better late than never"! <i>(Hmmmm. I've now piqueued my own curiosity about that saying, so I'm going to have to find out just who said it first and when...)</i><br />
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So, anywhoooo....<br />
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I've been subscribed to Ipsy for almost 2 years now and I've been extremely happy with the products that I've received from them during that time, so I've decided to start sharing my Ipsy Glam Bag goodies here each month!<br />
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But.... Before I share this month's bag, for those who are here because they want to know what Ipsy is or maybe just a little more about it, I figured I'd explain just what The Ipsy Glam Bag is and a bit about how it works.<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: red;">If you are already a seasoned Ipsy subscriber, I'm sure you'll want to skip down to the unbagging/review itself. Just scroll down to the photo of the bag!</span></b></i><br />
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Ipsy is a monthly subscription plan and community, started by Youtube and beauty industry guru Michelle Phan. It costs only $10 each month, (including shipping) making it one of <b>the best</b> <b>monthly subscription values</b> out there, as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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When you subscribe, you'll receive 4 to 5 deluxe sample or full sized makeup, hair, skin and nail care products and tools, from well known and loved beauty brands. <b><i>Your bag is curated with a new theme each month, by some of the best known and loved beauty experts and gurus from both the blogging world & Youtube.</i></b> And it all comes packed in an adorable new makeup bag each month, designed just for Ipsy subscribers!<br />
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When you first sign up with Ipsy, you'll fill out a personal Ipsy profile, which allows Ipsy to semi customize your monthly bags by choosing the 4 to 5 items that best fit the kinds of items that <i><b>you've told</b></i> them <i><b>you want or need most</b></i>.<br />
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You'll provide them with things like your age range, complexion tone and type, hair and eye color and what types of products you would prefer to receive in your bags, as well as which of the <b>many major beauty brands</b> you love best! You can also <b><i>retake the quiz anytime</i></b> by visiting your profile and following the directions to do so.<br />
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<b><i>Why would you want to do this?</i></b> Well, as the old adage goes... <b><i>we're women and it's our prerogative to change our minds, right?</i></b> Also, as a woman, your skin and hair needs can change when you least expect them to and in the true spirit of "keepin' it real", it might just be that you'd like to try some new and different products that might not have fit in as much with your original quiz answers.<br />
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While Ipsy works all the time with major brands like <b>The Balm, Dr, Brandt, Bare Minerals, NYX, Urban Decay, Ole Henriksen, Neutragena</b> and many, many more, they also often showcase new, up and coming beauty brands as well, so that you can have the opportunity to try out all of the <b><i>trendy new products that all of your favorite magazines and beauty bloggers are raving about at the moment!</i></b><br />
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<b>You can also earn points by reviewing the products you receive each month!</b> Ipsy will also use those product reviews to help match you with the items they're featuring each month. Just visit the "Glam Bag" tab on Ipsy's site to review your products each month, <b><i>earn points (10 per review, plus 5 more if you share those reviews on Facebook)</i></b>, and to also give them a better idea of what you’d like to see more or less of in your future Glam Bags. <b>You can redeem those points for products that Ipsy has in stock from previous month's bags that you really enjoyed, or maybe that you wanted but didn't receive. </b><br />
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Ipsy ships to: USA, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. They do also ship to Canada, but shipping fees will be applied in that case.<br />
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Subscription & Cancellation Policy: Once you've subscribed your subscription will be renewed automatically. You may cancel at any time by logging into your account and following the cancellation procedures that are described.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>OK... (phew!) without further ado, these are the great products that I received in my April 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag! </b></span><b><i><span style="color: red;">If you'd like to check Ipsy out and maybe subscribe to get your own monthly GlamBag, just click <a href="https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=cpuy" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</span></i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GV4H9bnd4O4/VUEfQjMZ_nI/AAAAAAAAN40/Ms7ekQbP4jo/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.47.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GV4H9bnd4O4/VUEfQjMZ_nI/AAAAAAAAN40/Ms7ekQbP4jo/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.47.57.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Isn't this woven straw bag adorable!? It's definitely one of my all time favorites!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This month's bag was curated by the very talented and very funny Youtube beauty guru and makeup artist, Chrisspy! You can check out her Youtube channel by clicking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ChrisspyMakeup" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Each month, you have the opportunity to win a 1 year subscription to Ipsy by sharing on social media!! The directions are on the included card!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rjpnI3v26LA/VUEfPzv7cjI/AAAAAAAAN4o/rczZ-sJy6ls/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.47.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rjpnI3v26LA/VUEfPzv7cjI/AAAAAAAAN4o/rczZ-sJy6ls/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.47.11.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first thing I noticed when I opened the bag, was the incredibly cute sample from The Balm's popular eyeshadow palette called "Nude Dude" (volume 2) and I have to admit that I kinda giggled like a little girl! LOL</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's give this month's bag a first impression review, shall we?! </span><span style="font-size: small;">(Sorry I didn't swatch anything for you this month, but I'll remember to do it in the coming months whenever/wherever it's applicable)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dq2jBpeXy0/VUEfKCzpmEI/AAAAAAAAN3g/Km4Q7vpFeOU/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.40.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dq2jBpeXy0/VUEfKCzpmEI/AAAAAAAAN3g/Km4Q7vpFeOU/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.40.51.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I absolutely LOVE The Balm's packaging!</span></td></tr>
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From their website: <span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4d50; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Introducing theBalm's latest addition to the Nude series... Nude Dude! Get a quick look using any combination of these triple-milled shadows or dress up your look by adding water to transform your favorite shades into loyal liners. This total package includes 12 full-bodied shadows that can be worn alone or layered for added intensity, so go ahead and cover (or uncover) your eyes.</span><br />
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Cost for the full palette: $36 - Palette includes 12 shadows at a total of 9.6 Grams<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5AnyDBwlhY/VUEfKHkGxpI/AAAAAAAAN3Y/NNesXaZ_yQE/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.41.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5AnyDBwlhY/VUEfKHkGxpI/AAAAAAAAN3Y/NNesXaZ_yQE/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.41.23.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know... It's totally campy, but you've gotta agree that it's cute as all get out! Flirty is a lovely, creamy very slightly brownish/mauve shadow, with a great color payoff and a little hint of shimmer! Little to no fallout. Very pleased! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg13MVD-Ku6OAjC0IuuyjQUf3qZ3pkfsSJb6qGnGwFuZFWSUVfxDf0DT6zrV02NmjK0PfSgP6DXqxCex2WU9rQhaSUSQeEDw21BwRslE1BA56PgMOGWJFcwHnK2NXaKv6YCDAsgYTQh0g/s1600/2015-04-18+10.41.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg13MVD-Ku6OAjC0IuuyjQUf3qZ3pkfsSJb6qGnGwFuZFWSUVfxDf0DT6zrV02NmjK0PfSgP6DXqxCex2WU9rQhaSUSQeEDw21BwRslE1BA56PgMOGWJFcwHnK2NXaKv6YCDAsgYTQh0g/s1600/2015-04-18+10.41.48.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This Olive Lips balm (I received Oats & Honey) has a smooth feel, is very moisturizing and not at all sticky. It's full of healthy ingredients and it's a perfect size to throw in my purse and be on my way!</span></td></tr>
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From their website: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Who doesn’t want, soft, moist, kissable lips? Well with this set you can have the full Olive Natural Beauty Lip experience! All 5 ONB flavors in one pretty little set perfect for on-the-go, gifts, or everyday use. Olive Natural Beauty Lip Balm is packed with our organic grape seed and extra virgin olive oil for light enduring moisture with no added synthetics or chemicals so your lips are always ready for that spontaneous kiss. We use animal cruelty-free beeswax that is cultivated at a higher altitude to produce the most pure and unprocessed wax, protecting your lips from the elements they need while allowing them to breathe and stay plump. With Olive Natural Beauty’s petroleum-free Lip Balm, you’ll forget all about dry and cracked lips as well as those other lip balms in your purse. It’s a lip tease–we know! </span><br />
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Cost: (for the "A Big Kiss" set of 5 .07 oz lip balms in asst'd formulas) Regularly $29.75, but it's on sale right now for $25.00<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">This set includes (1) 0.07oz Refreshing Rosemary Lip Balm, (1) 0.07oz Oats & Honey Lip Balm, (1) 0.07oz Radiant Rose Lip Balm, (1) 0.07oz Lemon & Lavender Lip Balm, and (1) 0.07oz Sweet Fennel Lip Balm.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xLwdQQeCWzI/VUEfMZU4IrI/AAAAAAAAN34/tPw_QPtjuvE/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.42.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xLwdQQeCWzI/VUEfMZU4IrI/AAAAAAAAN34/tPw_QPtjuvE/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.42.10.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the first time I've had KCO Colors by Beauty Brands and I haven't worn it yet, but it looks like a pretty pink/brown nude shade and I am definitely a nude lipstick kinda gal. So... we'll see! I'll try to come back and let you know my thoughts once I've tried it out. :)</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fhIFbLVL5xQ/VUEfMrVRPsI/AAAAAAAAN30/gaOiboBpQ4w/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.42.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fhIFbLVL5xQ/VUEfMrVRPsI/AAAAAAAAN30/gaOiboBpQ4w/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.42.53.jpg" width="475" /></a></div>
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From their website: <span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;">KOCO by </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;">beauty brands</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;"> Cream Lipstick offers a wide variety of colors available in pearl and cream finishes. Pearl shades add shine and luster that volumize lips. Cream shades add a moisturizing feeling that makes the lips feel supple. KOCO by </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;">beauty brands</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;"> Cream Lipstick is formulated to moisturize and protect lips from environmental factors (wind, dirt, pollution). KOCO by </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;">beauty brands</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;"> Lipsticks are paraben-free, talc-free, lanolin-free and gluten-free.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3b3b; font-family: FreightSansProBook-Regular, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.699999988079071px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><br />
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Cost: $8 for a full size tube which I assume this is, but I couldn't find this particular shade on the site. <i>As you can see in the website info, they refer to their lipsticks as "KOCO" as opposed to KCO Colors on this tube. I'm thinking that it might have been done exclusively for Ipsy, or other promotions.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QKG44xPNvdI/VUEfN5kUxjI/AAAAAAAAN4I/uQ0HOjG9KAw/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.43.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QKG44xPNvdI/VUEfN5kUxjI/AAAAAAAAN4I/uQ0HOjG9KAw/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.43.23.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only MICA Cosmetics products I've tried before have been loose mineral shadows, so this was a nice surprise! </span></td></tr>
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From their website: <span style="color: #2f2f2f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.6000003814697px;">Use MicaBeauty Eye Primer to seal in Eye Shadows and Foundation, enhancing your all-day look. Go from shimmer to matte in just seconds. This waterproof formula provides the perfect foundation for a long lasting, smudge proof look that is designed for your active lifestyle. MicaBeauty Eye Primer helps even out skin tone as well as extends and intensifies your mineral eye shadows, without creasing, smearing, or fading.</span><br />
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Cost: $44.95 for 8G<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-APwybyWSK48/VUEfOJwVhzI/AAAAAAAAN4M/lwN4USLPWqQ/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.44.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-APwybyWSK48/VUEfOJwVhzI/AAAAAAAAN4M/lwN4USLPWqQ/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.44.16.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This turned out to be a really creamy, easy to blend eyeshadow base and the color suits my skin tone perfectly! I truly like and use quite a few of the products that I receive from Ipsy, but I'm beyond happy with this and I'd definitely repurchase it! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ANYIZdy5PGY/VUEfObAJk2I/AAAAAAAAN4Q/iT1bRD6TyKc/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.44.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ANYIZdy5PGY/VUEfObAJk2I/AAAAAAAAN4Q/iT1bRD6TyKc/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.44.57.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've never had one of MBC's products before that I was so in love with or that I worried about running out of, but my first thoughts were... "Hmmm... wonder where I can get this when it starts to get low?" When I went to their website and saw that the full size costs $45, I almost fell off the couch! (Full size is 8grams or double this size) Luckily, this is concentrated and should last a good while!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4rAfgr9aVRo/VUEfPGo9bHI/AAAAAAAAN4c/uEFIP75QERs/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.45.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4rAfgr9aVRo/VUEfPGo9bHI/AAAAAAAAN4c/uEFIP75QERs/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.45.15.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've had a couple of Julie G for Jesse's Girl polishes before and I like them. I'd consider them pretty good for a basic drugstore brand. I haven't used this color yet (I received the shade 70142 Damsel ~</span><span style="font-size: small;"> part of the Julie G Core Collection</span><span style="font-size: small;">), but it looks like a great Summer shade for both fingers and toes! </span></td></tr>
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From the website: <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">You won't be a damsel in distress with mid-tone pink crème.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Jesse’s Girl Cosmetics provides fashion-forward beauty for any budget (because a beautiful face shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />With a product line featuring high intensity nail enamels, mineralized baked eye shadows, eye and lip liners with built-in sharpeners, high quality lip glosses, along with our perennially popular and highly sought after pure pigment eye dusts, it’s no wonder Jesse’s Girl is a hit with women who value top-quality products but not necessarily department store prices.</span><br />
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Cost: $2.99 to $3.99 in most retail locations or on their website, depending on coupons or discount codes, etc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPy8vbAI5f8/VUEfPsB89PI/AAAAAAAAN4k/HiWg7mS2neg/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.45.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zPy8vbAI5f8/VUEfPsB89PI/AAAAAAAAN4k/HiWg7mS2neg/s1600/2015-04-18%2B10.45.39.jpg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the many things that I like about Ipsy, is that they offer some really good deals on repurchses of the products they send out. It might be in the form of a coupon, like this. Or, they usually have the product available at the Ipsy website for a pretty decent discount over retail.</span></td></tr>
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Julie G is a well known Youtube beauty guru who collaberated with Jesse's Girl Cosmetics to do a line of nail polishes. She has done several very successful collections for them. I also noticed on the site that she has a line of nine styles of false lashes with them as well. If you've tried them, I'd love to know what you think of them!<br />
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This is her "About" statement from her Youtube channel: <span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Julie G, Beauty Obsessed, Girly-Girl, Creator of Julie G. Nail Polish. Weekly videos feeding your beauty addiction. Subscribe to get notified of my next beauty obsessed video!</span><br />
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If you'd like to check her channel out for yourself, just click right <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/julieg713" target="_blank">HERE</a>!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So, that's it for this month folks! Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions about Ipsy or the products that I shared today, please feel free to leave me a comment. I really love hearing from you!</span></b><br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-55150679523597246042014-10-31T10:04:00.004-04:002014-10-31T11:01:31.218-04:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-30669261218316506642014-09-11T19:28:00.003-04:002015-05-08T04:51:54.359-04:00Remembering Heroes<br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-17099901427702262952014-07-05T18:40:00.001-04:002014-07-05T18:40:29.383-04:00The Scoop Re: My 2014 Summer Fun Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-455OS9L_pz0/U7h0qjXsT6I/AAAAAAAAIDg/D0wSoDLc4uA/s1600/Summer+2014+Giveaway+Collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-455OS9L_pz0/U7h0qjXsT6I/AAAAAAAAIDg/D0wSoDLc4uA/s1600/Summer+2014+Giveaway+Collage.png" height="420" width="420" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5r307Ch1OP4/U7h5V3wHooI/AAAAAAAAIDs/uZDGlwWalk0/s1600/Prize+Pkg+No.2+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5r307Ch1OP4/U7h5V3wHooI/AAAAAAAAIDs/uZDGlwWalk0/s1600/Prize+Pkg+No.2+Collage.jpg" height="420" width="420" /></a></div>
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Just in case you aren't currently subscribed to, or don't follow or read my other (food) blog, I just wanted to make a quick announcement here.<br />
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<b><i>The Go Ahead... Take A Bite! 2014 Summer Fun Giveaway will be going live on the blog tonight, (I'll add the link here when it's live) by the end of the day!!! (Saturday, July 5th, 2014 11:59pm EDT)</i></b><br />
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Of course, subscribers to this blog as well as the general public, will be eligible to enter. (unfortunately, due to skyrocketing international shipping fees, these prize packages will only be available to people living within the 50 United States of America. I am looking into the possibility of adding a gift card, that will equal the (US) dollar amount of one of the prize packages for international entrants, but I can't make any promises at this point. I will make sure to state that decision one way or another, in the official post.<br />
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Please check back at <a href="http://www.goaheadtakeabite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Go Ahead... Take A Bite!</a> later this evening to see the details and entry instructions!<br />
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Thanks and Good Luck to all who enter!<br />
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Mary<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-58047965839587193152013-12-22T06:44:00.001-05:002013-12-22T06:44:25.786-05:00A Little Holiday Time WhimsyHowdy folks!<br />
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I know I haven't posted here in quite a while, but since Christmas is just a few days away and I've had so little time to really think about much else in the last few weeks, I just felt like posting a little bit of pure whimsy that was entertaining and well... happy. It caught my attention on a website that I recently discovered called <a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/" target="_blank">My Modern Metropolis</a>. (<i>this is the main link to the website home page - the direct link to the post that contains the photos and article is below</i>)<br />
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Consider it a tiny little Holiday gift to all of you, from me. A small token of my appreciation and my way of saying <b><i>Thank You</i></b> for hanging in here with me over the last year. There was a point back in July, when I came very close to no longer being here. (and by here, I mean breathing... on this Earth... amongst the living) So... to say the very least, I am incredibly blessed and eternally grateful, that I'm even able to share this little bit of whimsy with you.<br />
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What follows are just a few of the adorable photos by Chinese mother of three and photographer, Queenie Liao, from her series titled "Wenngen In Wonderland". Wenngen is her son and she creates these wonderful "adventures" for him while he's sleeping with items that she finds around her home, like stuffed animals, clothes, scarves and sheets. (I sure wish that I'd possessed even half of that kind of creativity, back when I still had a wee one who was napping.)<br />
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You can find the article about Queenie Liao and more photos from her Wenngen In Wonderland series at <a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/queenie-liao-wengenn-in-wonderland" target="_blank">My Modern Metropolis</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Wishing everyone a <span style="color: #cc0000;">Merry</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">Christmas</span>, <span style="color: orange;">Happy</span> <span style="color: #783f04;">Kwanzaa</span>, (belated) <span style="color: blue;">Happy</span> <span style="color: cyan;">Hanukkah</span>, <span style="color: #b45f06;">H</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">a</span><span style="color: #a64d79;">p</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">p</span><span style="color: #38761d;">y</span> <span style="color: #741b47;">F</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">e</span><span style="color: #bf9000;">s</span><span style="color: #134f5c;">t</span><span style="color: #38761d;">i</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">v</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">u</span><span style="color: orange;">s</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span>or any Holiday that you might be celebrating at this time!</span><br />
<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-15749972783644942642013-07-16T19:00:00.000-04:002013-07-16T19:00:03.185-04:00A Shocking Turn of Events, An Update and A Blog Break<b><i><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">This identical post is appearing on both of my blogs, so for those of you who subscribe to both, I apologize for the duplication.</span></i></b><br />
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Hello all,<br />
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Just wanted to get a short note out, to explain what's been going on in my world and to let you know that I'll be here on a somewhat limited or spoadic basis, at least for a little while, anyway. It's hard to be specific about potential posting dates, but I hope it won't be too long before I'm able to get back to the blog on a more full time basis. So, what's the big hold-up?<br />
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Well, much to my surprise, (and shock) a little over a week ago, I had (and am now recuperating from) a pretty serious heart attack. Honestly, folks... I never saw it coming and I had no idea that I was even remotely "in the risk zone", until it happened.<br />
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The Hubbers and I were out shopping at the local outlet stores, for some last minute attire and accessories for our daughter's upcoming (August) wedding in Virginia. It was unbearably hot (as it has been for most of the summer here in the Northeast) and I was feeling quite unwell, from what I assumed was a combination of how brutally high temperatures and humidity affect my Lupus and what I believed at the time, was a really bad case of heartburn, that I'd been battling on and off for the last couple of days. We decided to head home, but once we were in the car and on our way, that little intuitive voice in my head told me that something was horribly wrong and I told my Hubby that he needed to drive me straight to the Emergency Room instead.<br />
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After arriving at out local hospital's ER and once it was determined that I was indeed in the midst of a major<br />
cardiac episode, I was taken upstairs to the Cardiac Catheterization Lab where over the next 2 hours, three arterial wire mesh stents were placed, during a procedure called an angioplasty. After three days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, I was discharged home and ordered by my doctors to rest extensively and lay pretty low, so that my body has an opportunity to heal from this unexpected and frankly, terrifying attack. I honestly feel like I've been hit head on by a Mack truck and I believe this will be a long recovery for me.<br />
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On a slightly more positive note, my doctors were somewhat astounded by how little permenant damage there seems to have been to my heart, given that I had what was apparently, a major heart attack.<br />
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I'll try to post updates as often as I'm feeling up to it throughout the coming weeks, as I slowly but surely heal and get myself back on track. I am one <b><i>incredibly lucky</i></b> woman and I can't even begin to say how grateful I am to the doctors, nurses, aids and other staff at our local hospital, for <b><i>literally saving my life</i></b>.<br />
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And as for my husband, my daughter and other family members and friends.... well, let's just say that without their love and constant attention, I would have <i>never</i> made it through all of this with the kind of strength that I needed to push through the pain and work toward getting home and on my way to recovery. They have been taking exceptional care of me here at home and I am truly blessed.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Take good care of yourselves and of each other, my friends. You never know what might be around the corner.....</span></i></b>Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-38011738082380515222013-06-17T16:39:00.002-04:002013-07-01T21:28:40.471-04:00Important Reminder For My RSS Subscribers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey All!<br />
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Just a quick reminder to those of you who subscribe to my blog via RSS and use Google Reader to read Spilled On The Kitchen Table. There are only two weeks left before Google shuts GR down, so if you haven't done so already and would like to continue to follow me through RSS, (and I would be honored if you did!) please make sure to choose a new reader and import your subscriptions to it!<br />
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Not sure which RSS subscription reader you want to use? See <a href="http://spilledonthekitchentable.blogspot.com/2013/04/saying-goodbye-to-google-reader.html" target="_blank">my post</a> about the choice that I made, which also includes links to reviews of other alternative readers, written by different folks around the web.<br />
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Thanks so much for continuing to be such an awesome blog friend!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mary</i></b></span><br />
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Want to use Feedly to follow me through RSS, but don't know how to get Feedly as your new reader? Just click below and you'll be taken to my blog feed and prompted to sign up! (it's free and very much like Google Reader!)<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-73640553698608425552013-06-15T18:12:00.001-04:002013-06-19T06:34:29.163-04:00Wait! Don't Click That Link!! (Or Answer That Call!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Update!!</span> <i>When you're done reading my post, I found a pretty good explanation of how these bots work and why they hit our blogs on Wikipedia. Click <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_in_blogs" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read it. (It's OK... I clicked/read it and nothing bad happened, so I can attest to the fact that this is a safe link. lol)</i><br />
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Just a little warning<b>/</b>update about a new spammer that's been bombarding the blogosphere....<br />
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Please, be extremely careful and more importantly, DO NOT click on a referring URL link in your stats called:<br />
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<b>top blog stories (dot) com </b>(<i>it will appear as one solid line without spaces in your stats</i>)<br />
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I've posted about referring URL links in Blogger stats before, but I wanted to revisit this because there's a new culprit out there and it's looking a bit different. The rule of thumb for those of us who blog is that unless you recognize a link in your referral stats, (like a known blog or Pinterest, etc) you should never click on it, because 99% of the time it's referral spam. And while most of them are basically harmless, clicking on them will draw more "false" traffic hits and in turn, more spam comments to your blog. Well, it's looking like this particular link might not be so harmless.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5a0539w7BLI/UZizSvOZ3bI/AAAAAAAAGCc/FggfwiYZBC4/s1600/Suspicion+Movie+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5a0539w7BLI/UZizSvOZ3bI/AAAAAAAAGCc/FggfwiYZBC4/s400/Suspicion+Movie+Poster.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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I'm not sure how long this spammer has been around the blogosphere, but it showed up in <i>my</i> stats for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Overall, there's been an increase in referral spam over the last 6 to 8 months and I'm usually pretty good about spotting it right away, but I'll admit that I was almost fooled by this one. Luckily, something caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up and stopped me from clicking that mouse.<br />
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I was curious, so you know me... I did a little research and according to the google/blogger forums, the link belongs to a really nasty and aggressive porn site, based out of Mumbai India. The word is, that if you click it, not only will it bombard your blog with considerably more of those false hits than the others, but some folks are claiming that it's downloading malware or spy ware onto their hard drives and some are even saying that they've been hacked after clicking the link. Now, these <i>could</i> just be rumors, but <i>I</i> sure don't want to take any chances.<br />
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What makes me nervous, is that this new breed of spammers is getting a lot more clever with their method of attack. More and more, they're using language or key words that are familiar to the blogging vernacular. I mean, think about it... With a name like "top blog stories", it wouldn't be hard to imagine seeing it in your stats and wondering if maybe it's some fancy schmancy new website that ranks or showcases blogs of a certain genre and maybe they've mentioned your blog. As bloggers that's one of those things that most of us would be flattered and excited to find out about, right? Well, that's <b>exactly</b> what these bad guys are hoping for and to be honest, for about a nano-second, the thought actually crossed my mind.<br />
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It's not just the blogosphere that's under attack. Just about everyone that I know, has been seeing an increase in unsolicited phone calls, on both land lines and cell phones, from scammers who are masquerading as everything from survey takers to charitable organizations and even computer software companies! And it doesn't seem to matter whether you're on the National Do Not Call list, or not. We've been on it for years and it's worked well from the start, but we've been getting so many calls in recent months, that I went to the DNC website to make sure we were still listed.<br />
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We are. But we're still getting calls from these jerks on a daily basis. And 95% of these calls aren't coming from fund raisers. Why would that make a difference? Well, groups or businesses that make calls for the sole purpose of raising money for charitable organizations, are exempt from the do not call list.<br />
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We never answer anything from 800 or blocked numbers, or strange area codes (like 000? what the heck is that?) but they've started using "real" area codes from cities around the U.S. and we've had some that are even using names of legit companies and organizations that they obviously have no legal affiliation with. One person called here recently and the only reason I answered it was because it was from the area code where our daughter lives. This guy actually had the cojones to say he was from Microsoft!<br />
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The phone call went something like this...<br />
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<a href="http://photobucket.com/images/ringing%20phone" target="_blank"><img alt="ringing phone photo: Ringing Phone Telephone-1.gif" border="0" src="http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k73/aptbrn/Telephone-1.gif" /></a>
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Me: Hello<br />
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Mr. "microsoft": (in a very urgent voice) Hello, my name is (unintelligible name) from Microsoft. I am calling on behalf of your computer and it is very, very sick. Please go to your computer right aw....<br />
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Me: (interrupting) I'm sorry? What? You're calling on behalf of who?<br />
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Mr. "microsoft": Yes, ma'am. I'm calling on behalf of your computer. It is very sick and you must to go to it immediately and log on so...<br />
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Me: Huh? Ha! (laughing out loud now, as I'm realizing how ridiculous this is) Uh... <i>Noooo</i>. My computer is just fine, thank you. G'bye! Click.<br />
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I might have chuckled at the audacity of this guy, but what <i>isn't</i> funny, is what these scammers are trying to accomplish; their "game" is to scare people into believing that some horrible virus has infiltrated and damaged their computer and it <i>must</i> be fixed immediately.<br />
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Once they've got the person convinced that they have a dangerous virus and the caller is the only one who can get rid of the problem, they direct them to log on to their computer and then walk them through a few simple steps that will give the scammer remote access to the person's hard drive. Then, under the guise of removing the alleged virus, they instead, install a malware program called a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging" target="_blank">keylogger or keystroke recorder</a>.<br />
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These programs give the scammer access to passwords, account and social security numbers and any other personal information that the victim enters into their computer by recording each keystroke as it happens in real time. This allows the scammer <i>and anyone else that they might sell the information to</i>, to rob that person of every penny they have. It all happens so fast that the victim has no idea it's happening... until they've lost everything.<br />
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What truly worries me, is that I know some older folks who would have no idea that these aren't legitimate calls, or that they had just become the victim of a blatant thief. A thief who now had access to pretty much everything that they owned.<br />
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Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's becoming a double edged sword. I don't have any desire to stop doing what I do every day. I love blogging, so I want to keep that in my life and because I live with a chronic illness that makes it difficult to get out as often as I'd like or need to, I've really come to appreciate the convenience of things like online shopping. I also enjoy interacting with old and new friends through various social media networks.<br />
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But I feel like I'm doing these things each day with a little more trepidation every day, because it's getting more difficult to protect our privacy.<br />
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It's easy for us to be lulled into a false sense of security too, because we have programs installed on our computers that are designed to detect and thwart a cyber attack, but there's also new technology created every day, designed to bypass this software or to attack us with some newer, nastier cyber bug.<br />
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We try to be careful. But as careful as we are, there's always some way that we become vulnerable. Even if you've <i><b>never</b></i> paid a bill online, or you've made it a point <b><i>not</i></b> to ever put any of your personal information online, our banks, our doctors, our children's schools and basically every retailer we deal with <i style="font-weight: bold;">does</i>. Every day. So, how are we supposed protect ourselves from that?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh... and warn your elderly family members, friends and neighbors about these jerks. If we can keep one less person from getting their identity stolen (or worse) it's just one more thing that will help us all be better protected.</span><br />
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Be well...<br />
and be careful out there!<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mary</i></b></span>
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-35071465113140742932013-04-28T14:52:00.000-04:002013-04-29T17:28:11.217-04:00Time To Spill It ~ Life, Passion and Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ahhh... sailboats moored at sunset. Looks peaceful, doesn't it?<br />
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No... We didn't buy a new boat. Hell, we don't even have an <i>old</i> boat. So. Why the picture? Well, I guess I'm just doing a bit of wishful thinking. It was a really <i><b>long</b></i> Winter and I can't remember a time in all of my life when I was <i>this</i> happy to see a new season on the horizon. I realize that Spring has sprung for some regions of the country, but at the moment, my neck of the woods has been doing a cruel, flip-flopping dance between late winter and early Spring. Last Tuesday, the temperature topped out at 80 degrees. On Thursday, the thermostat never crept over 48. Today's forecast says it's supposed to reach the mid to high 70's. The last time (about an hour ago) that I looked at the thermometer, it was 64. But, that's enough about the weather...<br />
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Earlier this morning, I was looking at some of the "discussion" posts on a LinkedIn group that I belong to and someone had asked the question: "Do you consider yourself a foodie?" (It's a group for foodies, of course) So, I took a gander at a few of the replies and it got me thinking about my own obsession with food and why so much of my life is centered around it. Let's see....<br />
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I love going out for dinner.<br />
And lunch.<br />
And breakfast.<br />
And dessert.<br />
I cook.<br />
A lot.<br />
I host (and cook for) the majority of my family's holiday celebrations and special occasions.<br />
I collect cookbooks.<br />
And I read them like most people read novels.<br />
I have cupboards and drawers and shelves and boxes, filled with pots, pans, utensils, gadgets, table linens, dishes and serving pieces.<br />
I get more excited about grocery shopping, than I do about clothes or shoe or chotchki shopping. (and I <i><b>really</b></i> love to shop for clothes and shoes and chotchkies)<br />
I talk (a lot) about food.<br />
My food board on Pinterest has 10 times more pins than any other 10 boards, combined.<br />
I blog about food.<br />
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Hmmmm...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_2c5imfCDo/UX1p7Jo-tQI/AAAAAAAAFsg/VIscYCfSBWE/s1600/100_4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X_2c5imfCDo/UX1p7Jo-tQI/AAAAAAAAFsg/VIscYCfSBWE/s620/100_4743.JPG" width="620" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah... it's a little cluttered, but it works for me. :~)</td></tr>
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How long has food been <strike>an obsession</strike> a passion for me?<br />
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Well... there was a time in my life when I had planned to become a professional chef. I was 16 years old and a junior in high school; and like most teenagers, I was absolutely, positively and unequivocally sure, that I had it <b><i>all</i></b> figured out. My parents were behind the idea 100%... for about a minute. Then, (insert sounds of screeching breaks here) common sense, <i>aka fear</i>, took over and they decided that life as a "cook" was <b>not</b> at all what they'd envisioned for their daughter. Nope. Absolutely, positively, unequivocally, N.O. (insert visual of deflating balloon here)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BSfCGUOUi5E/UX1tFhJqS1I/AAAAAAAAFsw/VUz-bA8w5Tk/s1600/Food+Is+Love+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="620" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BSfCGUOUi5E/UX1tFhJqS1I/AAAAAAAAFsw/VUz-bA8w5Tk/s620/Food+Is+Love+Collage.jpg" width="487" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Google Images</td></tr>
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So, life went on. Time went by. I started a career, got married and had babies. Not necessarily in that particular order, but these were all things that my parents <b><i>had</i></b> envisioned for me.<br />
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All in all, it's been a damned good life, so far. Of course, there have been difficult times, too. Roads to cross. Tough decisions to make. Tears have been shed. Many tears. But, that is what life is. For all of us. We all experience the same duality in our lives. Good and not so good. (I don't really care for the "b" word) Positive and negative. Yin and yang.<br />
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There have been people sharing this journey with me. Good people, who've brought light into dark days, comfort when there's been pain, strength to a fearful heart and hope to a grieving soul. Loving people, who have fed my spirit. And isn't that the kind of food that matters most of all?<br />
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So, yeah... I'm definitely a foodie.<br />
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How about you... Are you a foodie too?<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-15086344849305481752013-04-19T15:05:00.001-04:002013-04-19T23:53:19.899-04:00Saying Goodbye To Google Reader<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S65ZVpvf8Gs/UXFqv3vG8oI/AAAAAAAAFn0/3VQ9q3Twu14/s1600/woman+waving+goodbye+with+hanky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S65ZVpvf8Gs/UXFqv3vG8oI/AAAAAAAAFn0/3VQ9q3Twu14/s320/woman+waving+goodbye+with+hanky.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Howdy!<br />
<br />
Since I'm seeing headlines and post titles like "Google Killing Google Reader" and "Google Reader Alternatives" all over the place, I'm sure that most of you are now aware that Google will be "retiring" it's popular RSS reader, as of July of this year. (2013) That means that GR users will have to find a new place to subscribe to and organize our various guilty reading pleasures. There are plenty of other options out there, but I was unfamiliar with many of them and had no idea which direction I was going to take once Google Reader was gone, so I started looking into it further.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you're a more <b>hands off </b>blogger when it comes to "techy things" and/or you're not familiar with readers or RSS feed subscriptions, click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a cute little video, called "RSS in Plain English" that describes in basic terms what it's all about. Keep in mind that the video was made shortly after readers became available on the web and way before Google decided to retire GR.</span></i><br />
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During the course of my research, I noticed that several bloggers have been asking their current RSS subscribers to re-subscribe or re-follow them on Bloglovin'. Now, both of my blogs are available through Bloglovin' and I currently follow several blogs there myself, but it's a pretty basic service and doesn't really have all of the tools that I'm used to for organizing and managing my subscriptions.<br />
<br />
<i>I also realised that it's possible that not all of the good folks who subscribe to my blogs, have (or want to sign up for) a Bloglovin' account. Of course, if you have a Bloglovin' account and you wish to follow me there, I'd be honored.</i><br />
<br />
Well, I continued my research and I've found a reader that I'm happy with. I've switched over to <a href="http://www.feedly.com/index.html" target="_blank">Feedly.com</a> So, why did I choose <span style="color: #38761d;">**</span>Feedly?<br />
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1) It's the closest thing that I've found, both in layout and in function, to GR.<br />
<br />
2) When you sign up, (which is free, btw) Feedly gives you the option to automatically import all of your files from your GR account. I don't think it took more than a minute to import all of my subscriptions and I'll still be able to access them on GR, if I change my mind. (At least until GR ends in July)<br />
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3) They've recently added a feature called the "Feedly Mini" that places a small semi-transparent icon in the bottom right corner of your browser, that allows you to share a post, recipe, article, etc. from a website or blog to Facebook, Twitter, Buffer, G+ or even email it to a friend... all with just a couple of clicks of your mouse. You can choose (in your preferences) to enable it, or not.<br />
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4) Feedly.com has been around since 2008 and it's growing and gaining tons of new users every day, so I feel pretty confident that they're not going anywhere, any time soon.<br />
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5) Feedly is "Cloud Based" and is available for iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox and Safari, so it's both mobile and desktop friendly.<br />
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If you'd like to check Feedly out for yourself, just click <a href="http://www.feedly.com/index.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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I also found a pretty extensive list of available readers and a brief review of each, from a fellow named Jared at HostDime blog. You can go check his post out by clicking <a href="http://www.hostdime.com/blog/2013/03/best-rss-feeds/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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<b>If you're currently a GR user, which reader/subscription option are you planning to use to replace it?</b><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">**This is not an endorsement for Feedly.com and I have not been compensated in any way for mentioning them in my post. The opinions expressed are my own and are meant only to inform readers about my personal preferences/choice.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">If you currently subscribe to either of my blogs through GR, I'd be honored to have you continue that subscription through another source. Both of my blogs will continue to be available through other RSS readers and through email, Bloglovin' and any/all of the other "follow" options in my sidebar or in the social media bar at the top of the page. (</span><span style="color: #134f5c;">Go Ahead Take A Bite is the only blog that currently has a social media bar. I'm working on one for Spilled On The Kitchen Table at the moment</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">)</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></b>Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-6642233541986807362013-04-15T06:02:00.001-04:002016-03-24T11:06:38.402-04:00Bling Out Your Blog ~ How To Create and Install Social Media Icons<br />
Howdy!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogYenhV-QiI/UUqPLTfQ35I/AAAAAAAAFQQ/YKH8hXXEQ9g/s1600/Bling+Out+Your+Blog+Logo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ogYenhV-QiI/UUqPLTfQ35I/AAAAAAAAFQQ/YKH8hXXEQ9g/s420/Bling+Out+Your+Blog+Logo+2.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">**Update: It's been a while since I wrote this post, so it's possible that some (or all) of the links to free social media icon sets that I have provided below, might or might not still be available. If they are no longer viable, I apologize, but it's pretty simple to find other sites that do have them. Just do a search for "free downloadable social media icon sets" (without the quotation marks, of course) and you'll find tons of them. Now... My anti-virus softwear has a feature that lets me know right on the search results page, if a site is safe for me to visit or not, but if yours doesn't do that for you and you are wary of just clicking on any old link, you can follow the advice provided by one of my favorite go-to sites for all things interwebs, C|Net.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;">You can view the C|Net Video <a href="http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-check-if-a-web-site-is-safe/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span></b><br />
<br />
Welcome to the newest installment of my tutorial series; "Bling Out Your Blog"!<br />
<br />
<b>Please note</b>: These instructions are for <span style="color: #cc0000;">Blogger</span> (blogspot) hosted blogs <i><b>only</b></i>. I'm not familiar with the inner workings of Wordpress, Typepad or other blog hosting sites, but I'm sure if you do a search, you can easily find someone who can help you.<br />
<br />
<b>Also</b>, I'm <i><b>not</b></i> a web designer. I've learned most of what I know from my fellow bloggers or trial and error. I'm certainly open to questions about my tutorials, but please know that if you ask highly technical questions about code etc., I probably won't be able to answer them for you.<br />
<br />
So... Why is it a good thing to install a social media icon bar on your blog?<br />
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Most popular social media services have a "follow" widget that you can install in your sidebar, which is OK and they work... for the most part. But, studies have shown that having all of your links to social media in one tidy little space, makes new readers more likely to follow you on those sites. <i>(I'm working on one for this blog at the moment)</i><br />
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OK. Let's get to it, shall we?<br />
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First, you need to find an icon set that you like. There are hundreds of sites out there that offer free downloads of a myriad of icon sets. You can find everything from simple, basic icons to highly customized graphics. Keep in mind that you will need to unzip most of them once they're downloaded to your computer. If you don't have WinZip, there are instructions for unzipping compacted files <b>without</b> it <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-.Zip-File-Without-Winzip" target="_blank">HERE</a> <i>(Note: If you have an old, expired version of WinZip on your computer, you will need to uninstall it before trying these methods)</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
If you don't know where or how to find icon sets, here's a link to a <a href="http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Free+Social+Media+Icons" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a> that I found with pins of different sites that offer them. I can't vouch for the authenticity of every single site listed on this board, but I found several good sites and if you have a Pinterest account, I'm sure you already know how to check the website or source of a pin. ( <i>Fair warning</i>: I went through a <b>lot</b> of them before I found the right ones for me - There are so many, it can become a bit of a distraction. lol) You can also find a plethora of sites by doing a general web search for "free social media icons". And of course, there are also sites that offer full sets of icons for a just few bucks, if you don't mind paying for them. Many of these sites will even customize them to match your blog design and will also work up the codes that you need for a little more. It's totally up to you.<br />
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Here are a few sites that I found just by doing a Google search:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qEeXGe6aGIc/UTig3uUDkVI/AAAAAAAAFCU/efFMtCBg1h0/s1600/social+media+sets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qEeXGe6aGIc/UTig3uUDkVI/AAAAAAAAFCU/efFMtCBg1h0/s1600/social+media+sets.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find these <a href="http://lovenotesbylauryn.blogspot.com/2012/05/21-free-social-media-icon-sets.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Er8_vlgHo/UTig4SrHtvI/AAAAAAAAFCg/3Tw_H6kJveI/s1600/free-social-media-networking-icons-icon-sets-graphic-design-003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Er8_vlgHo/UTig4SrHtvI/AAAAAAAAFCg/3Tw_H6kJveI/s320/free-social-media-networking-icons-icon-sets-graphic-design-003.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find these <a href="http://bloomwebdesign.net/myblog/2012/02/0-fresh-free-social-media-icon-sets/" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
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I also found this Etsy shop that does really cute hand drawn sets for about $5 or $6 (US) per set.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFvYhrqVaYk/UTigNx3Wf-I/AAAAAAAAFCA/5_PVhXFRshI/s1600/etsy+shop+icons++il_570xN.363204842_nbma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BFvYhrqVaYk/UTigNx3Wf-I/AAAAAAAAFCA/5_PVhXFRshI/s320/etsy+shop+icons++il_570xN.363204842_nbma.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/106183075/social-media-icons" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Or, this one on Etsy for $6.50 (US)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6VofbAdwHY/UWvJ6FwGbII/AAAAAAAAFjw/M5V87yJbmW8/s1600/Etsy+Shop+Icon+Set+from+Mint102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6VofbAdwHY/UWvJ6FwGbII/AAAAAAAAFjw/M5V87yJbmW8/s320/Etsy+Shop+Icon+Set+from+Mint102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/112003763/modern-bold-colorful-social-media-icons?ref=shop_home_active" target="_blank">HERE</a></td></tr>
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Once you've found the icons you wish to use and have downloaded them to your computer, you need to upload them to a <b>host site</b>, like <b>Photobucket, Picasa</b> (or whatever you use) and take care of any editing that needs to be done. ie., resizing them to fit your blog layout. (<i>many sets are offered in several sizes already, so you might not have to edit them at all, but you still need a place to host them</i>)<br />
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The size that I use here on SOTKT is 64px and the size that I use over on my other blog, <a href="http://goaheadtakeabite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Go Ahead Take A Bite</a> is 48px, but you can choose whatever size will fit best in the location you choose to put them. The two sizes that I listed above simply wouldn't fit in my sidebar, so I ended up putting it above the "Blog Posts" area in my layout. <i><b>Didn't know that you could put stuff there?</b></i> Neither did I, until one night, (out of pure frustration) I decided to try it. Whattayaknow? It worked!<br />
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Of course, you can always resize your side bar in the template designer. If you don't know how to do this, you can find the instructions that were included in a previous tutorial, <a href="http://spilledonthekitchentable.blogspot.com/2013/03/bling-out-your-blog-how-to-resize-your.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Next, you need to gather up the URL's (the www. address) for the social media sites that you want to represent, in a <span style="color: #cc0000;">work space</span>. I have a test blog that I keep private and use for editing and trying out different apps and layouts for my public blogs, but you can use Notepad, Word, Google Docs, etc. You just need a space where you can copy and paste things together, before placing your finished icons in your blog layout.<br />
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<b>To keep a new (or make an existing) Blogger blog private:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Go to your Blogger <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Dashboard</b></span></li>
<li>Choose <span style="color: #e69138;"><i><b>"Settings"</b></i></span> </li>
<li>In the Basic section, scroll down to <span style="color: #38761d;"><i><b>"Permissions"</b></i></span></li>
<li>To the right of where it says "Blog Readers" click <span style="color: #741b47;"><i><b>"edit"</b></i></span></li>
<li>Choose <i><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"only blog authors"</b></span></i></li>
<li>Then click <i><b>"<span style="color: #351c75;">Save Changes</span>"</b></i></li>
</ul>
Now, back to the icon tutorial...<br />
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Once you have all of the icons in your host site and all of the corresponding URL's gathered together, this is the way you would lay them out in your work space. (<i>You can copy my examples and paste them into your work space. Just be sure to delete the highlighted parts, so those areas can be filled in with your own data</i>)
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<a href="<span style="background-color: #ffff33;">your Twitter URL</span>"><img src="<span style="background-color: yellow;">direct link code to your twitter icon</span>" /></a><br />
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<a href="<span style="background-color: yellow;">your Facebook URL</span>"><img src="<span style="background-color: yellow;">direct link code to facebook icon</span>"/></a>
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And so on... Just follow this same format for each of your social media accounts, then group the links together, end to end, without spaces. Like this:<br />
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<a href ********** <span style="background-color: yellow;"><a/><a href</span> **********<a/><br />
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Now, you can add the entire block as a text/html gadget to your blog layout. Et, voila! You have a personalized social media follow bar!<br />
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If you find that your icons look or fit better with a space between them, you can add a space by typing <span style="background-color: yellow;"><br/></span> after each link. If you want them to be centered in their location, add <span style="background-color: yellow;"><center></span> immediately before and directly after the entire block of code. <i>(this is also how you would do these things when editing the html code in your blog posts)</i><br />
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For instructions on finding the URL for your Blogger (blogspot) RSS feed: Click <a href="http://support.google.com/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=97933" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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If you have a Facebook page for your blog, just go to the main or home page and copy and paste the URL that's located in the address bar. This is also called the permalink address.<br />
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For Bloglovin', Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. you just do the same.<br />
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I do <b>not</b> use a social media icon for email subscriptions. I've found that it's much easier to keep track of my subs by using the available (Feedburner) Blogger widget for email subscriptions in my sidebar.<br />
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There's a cute little video called "RSS in Plain English" that explains what an RSS subscription is: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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I hope that I've explained this so that it's understandable. If you have problems or questions of any kind, please let me know and I'll do my best to help in any way that I can.<br />
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Your comments and suggestions would be very helpful in putting together future tutorials and if you have any specific requests, I'd be happy to oblige, as long as I know how to do it! :~)<br />
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Be Well!<br />
(and have fun!)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Mary</i></b></span></div>
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-61611533851256988982013-03-28T05:36:00.001-04:002013-03-28T05:36:15.742-04:00What's With All Of The Funky Comments Getting Through?Howdy everyone!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUfu1eoXiEk/UVQI2fvctkI/AAAAAAAAFcE/KlrZfLhhPuE/s1600/SPAM-FACTORY-large300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xUfu1eoXiEk/UVQI2fvctkI/AAAAAAAAFcE/KlrZfLhhPuE/s1600/SPAM-FACTORY-large300.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
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<br />
Has anyone else been receiving a barrage of not quite legit comments that are slipping through Google's/Blogger's usually tight security?<br />
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The anonymous comments that were previously being snagged by Google's interweb police, <i>before</i> landing in my email account and the comments section of my blog, are now getting through. I'm seeing about 10 per day (or more) and if I didn't have comment moderation on at the moment, most of them would be publishing live to my blogs before I was able to catch them.<br />
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I admit they can be rather comical, with their attempts at using "blogese" to (I guess) make us think that we've suddenly gained a bunch of lovely new friends. You know... friends who just love what you've written in your new (or two year old) blog post, but they just happen to want to sell you everything from, shall we say, less than demure undergarments to children's books. In all honesty, with the creative new phrasing they've been using, if they didn't routinely butcher the translation, some of them might actually pass as bona fide bloggers. <i>Almost....</i><br />
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So, being the nosy <i>Shirley</i> Holmes that I am, I went looking in the support forums for some kind of evidence that I was not alone in this new wave of visitors to my blogs. What I found, was a roll-up (ongoing) thread about this very situation. Seems it's a problem that's happening to folks all over the blogosphere.<br />
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Blogger/Google is asking people to leave their comments on this roll-up in the form of a question and answer type list. From what I've read, they suspect that it's a new form of <i>(I dare not use "the word" ~ see photo above ~ due to the fear that this blog might be snatched away to cyber jail the way my other one was last January ~ you can read about that little nightmare, <a href="http://goaheadtakeabite.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-scary-in-cyber-jail.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>)</i> that's using sophisticated new ways to link back from our blogs to the varied sights they're promoting. I haven't seen any new responses from tech support in the thread recently, but there have been quite a few bloggers leaving new posts, recounting what they've been experiencing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/SIWW_X6pIMc/e4SFakG7uRgJ" target="_blank">HERE</a> is the link to the thread, in case you want to pop over there and let them know that it's happening to you too.<br />
<br />
If this is happening to you, what have you been doing with these comments? Are you reporting them as, um... that "word"?<br />
<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-22103196619267688042013-03-22T16:23:00.001-04:002013-04-16T14:05:14.455-04:00Bling Out Your Blog ~ Backing Up Your Blog Template<i style="color: #c27ba0;">(this is the second in a series </i><i style="color: #c27ba0;">for those of us without a web design degree,</i><i style="color: #c27ba0;"> on how to work with HTML code, widgets and the Blogger Template Editor ~ <b>all tutorials will be for Blogger hosted blogs. </b>The first few tutorials will focus on "the basics", for those who have never attempted to change <b>anything</b> since originally choosing a Blogger template. The subject matter will become more involved as the series continues.</i><i style="color: #c27ba0;">)</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How To Back Up Your Blog Template</span></b><br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">(please see the **disclaimer at the bottom of this post)</span></i><br />
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So. Did that just strike the fear of blog into your heart and mind? Did some of you <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Chiller; font-size: large;">cringe</span> at the mere thought of fiddling with your blog or it's template? Don’t feel bad. I felt the same way, once upon a time. Then, one day I made a decision. I decided to be brave and delve into the depths of template editing. And ya know somethin’? Not only did I really enjoy it… I became a little bit addicted. LOL<br />
<br />
You see, Blogger makes it pretty easy with their template designer. Much easier than you would probably think, actually. I have a tutorial coming up in the not too distant future that will give you the steps to make some fun changes to your template, but before you do that, the most important step you must take is to back up your current template.<br />
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Why? Well, we all have those days when things just don't seem to want to go our way and in case you change your mind, get carried away, or things go horribly awry, you'll want to have the option to go back to the blog template that you started from. So, how do you do that? Well, Blogger makes that a snap, too. Here’s a quick tutorial:<br />
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Go to your Blogger dashboard.<br />
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AEtrMR4ta1o/UUxQCoyn4YI/AAAAAAAAFQw/CpcV2s_I46U/s1600-h/Capture-of-Template-page6.png"><img alt="Capture of Template page" border="0" height="429" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GUuL2Pz5rmg/UUxQDA2UlXI/AAAAAAAAFQ4/tV58UyJMMJI/Capture-of-Template-page_thumb4.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Capture of Template page" width="639" /></a><br />
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Choose “Template”.<br />
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In the upper right corner, you’ll see an area that says: “Back Up/Restore”<br />
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Click on that and this window will appear:<br />
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<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QRyZcG2cN8k/UUxQDTSWgMI/AAAAAAAAFRA/o--w0G_-BnU/s1600-h/Capture-of-backup-restore-window3.png"><img alt="Capture of backup restore window" border="0" height="381" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lvZr3H9PllE/UUxQDuqLcOI/AAAAAAAAFRI/UZJzHrEYb9Y/Capture-of-backup-restore-window_thu.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Capture of backup restore window" width="562" /></a><br />
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Click on “Download Full Template” and a new window will appear, asking you to save the file. Most computers are set up to save files to your “Downloads” file on your desktop. That’s where I keep my backups, but you can store it wherever you prefer. Click “Save” and voila! you now have a saved copy of your blog’s template!<br />
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If the time should ever come that you wish to restore your older template, just repeat the “Backup/Restore” step above, but when the window appears, choose:<br />
<br />
“Upload a file from a template on your hard drive”.<br />
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Your downloads window will pop up and all you have to do is choose the appropriate template file and click “Open”.<br />
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The name of the template will show in the next window and it will say “Upload” right underneath it. Click on that button and ta-da! your original/old template will be restored!<br />
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Whether you're making changes to your template or not, it's not a bad idea to do this a couple of times a year. If you're changing your template frequently, say... with the seasons, you might want to do it every three months. We all know how much work we put into making our blog esthetically pleasing and enjoyable for readers, so why take the chance of losing all of that work, if your computer just happens to crash out of the blue or a nasty little virus somehow slips past your anti-virus carrier's watchful eye?<br />
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Backing up data to a portable drive (USB Drive) or an exterior hard drive, is an easy way to have a virtual insurance policy for your blog. An exterior hard drive has significantly more memory capacity, which is excellent for backing up your entire hard drive, but the smaller, more portable flash or thumb (USB) drive is made for backing up individual files, like your blog template or your photo or music files.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XX5nd6Tx9Y0/UUxvy1HHwcI/AAAAAAAAFRw/StBATzdNmsQ/s1600/External+Hard+Drive+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XX5nd6Tx9Y0/UUxvy1HHwcI/AAAAAAAAFRw/StBATzdNmsQ/s520/External+Hard+Drive+Collage.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
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Thumb drives are also really inexpensive these days. They come in very basic versions or there are all kinds of super cute and creative styles and configurations to choose from. Like most everything, there are totally blinged out versions that you can purchase, but a decent, basic portable drive will usually run you between $5 and $15. In my book, that's certainly not a lot to pay to have some peace of mind. Plus, they fit in your pocket, purse or brief case.<br />
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I found a few examples below, but there are literally thousands more out there to choose from. It's at the point now where you can even pick them up at your neighborhood convenience store. It doesn't get much easier than that, does it?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjxw5pA-b3A/UUxaiL24F_I/AAAAAAAAFRY/ND5nSgjRGH4/s1600/Thumb+Drive+Basic+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vjxw5pA-b3A/UUxaiL24F_I/AAAAAAAAFRY/ND5nSgjRGH4/s520/Thumb+Drive+Basic+Collage.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basic Styles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uowVba26fYE/UUxail72eAI/AAAAAAAAFRc/Ay7gN0JPCTY/s1600/Thumb+Drive+Novelty+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uowVba26fYE/UUxail72eAI/AAAAAAAAFRc/Ay7gN0JPCTY/s520/Thumb+Drive+Novelty+Collage.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Novelty Styles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Don't forget to check back for new "Bling Out Your Blog" tutorials, where I'll go over lots of fun, easy ways that you can change up your template or layout and add fun graphics, widgets and features to your blog. And remember, if you follow this blog through RSS, email or one of the other follow options in my side bar, you can make sure not to miss any new posts as they come up!<br />
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In the next couple of weeks, I hope to be posting tutorials on <i>How To Make A Custom Header For Your Blog</i> and some of the basics of <i>Using The Blogger Template Designer</i>. I'm working on a tutorial right now on <i>How To Create and Install Social Media Icons</i> on your blog.<br />
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Happy Blinging!<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">**Disclaimer ~ I'm not a professional computer programer. The information I am providing in these tutorials is based on what I've learned, either through trial and error or from other bloggers who have been kind enough to post tips and tricks on their own blogs over the years. If you have any special requests for a particular tutorial or if you have any questions about the tutorials I've provided, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my very best to answer yourquestions and/or honor your requests, as long as I know the answers or how to do what it is that you're requesting. You can do either of these things by leaving a comment on one of my posts, or using the "Contact Me" tab at the top of this blog to send me an email. Also, feel free to offer suggestions and I'd love to hear your honest (but kind) opinion of my tutorial(s).</span></i>Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-87838328485334257372013-03-19T16:24:00.002-04:002013-04-28T22:31:05.233-04:00Bling Out Your Blog ~ How To Resize Your Photos In Blogger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<i style="color: #c27ba0;">(this is the first in a series </i><i style="color: #c27ba0;">for those of us without a web design degree,</i><i style="color: #c27ba0;"> on how to work with HTML code and the Blogger Template Editor ~ <b>all tutorials will be for Blogger hosted blogs. </b>It's not a bad idea</i><i style="color: #c27ba0;"> to print this out, before you start.)</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">How To Resize Your Photos In Blogger</span></b><br />
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Hiya, Folks!<br />
<br />
Welcome to my very first tutorial! You might have noticed some header and layout changes around here since your last visit. Don't worry... you're in the right place. <i>(Please bear with me... It's a work in progress.)</i><br />
<br />
I thought I'd start with one of the things that eluded and frustrated me the most when I began blogging; how to make the photos that I posted larger. Especially the photos on my food blog.<br />
<br />
Not just a tiny bit larger. I wanted <i>BIG</i>. I kept seeing all of these gorgeous photos, jumping off the pages on my favorite food and DIY blogs and no matter how I worded my google queries, I just couldn't find the answer I was looking for.<br />
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Most of the hits that I got, simply explained how to use the regular "small, medium and large" options in the blogger editor. Um, duh! ~ I already knew that. Some of them explained how to enlarge photos in Photoshop or Paint. That's all well and good, <i>but...</i> 1) I didn't have Photoshop or Paint and 2) They didn't have sites like PicMonkey and iPiccy where you could just click on pre-loaded options and get the results you wanted. (<i>if they existed, I wasn't aware of them</i>)<br />
<br />
I wish I could remember where it was that I finally found the information I was looking for, but I know it was another blogger who was kindly sharing her photo tips and secrets. <span style="color: #cc0000;">Thank you unknown, kind blogger, wherever you are!</span><br />
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Before you begin, you'll want to decide whether to keep your blog at it's current dimensions, or change things like the width and layout. In case you don't know how or where to change/set the dimensions for your blog, these are the (simple) steps:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Go to <span style="color: #45818e;">"dashboard"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Select <span style="color: #45818e;">"template"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Next, select <span style="color: #45818e;">"customize"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then, select <span style="color: #45818e;">"adjust widths"</span></div>
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A preview of your blog will pop up below the work area, so you'll be able to see the changes as you make them. You just slide the bar(s) to the left or right to achieve the desired width of each section of your blog. My layout here, is a 3 column layout and my dimensions are as follows:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Entire blog = 1180px</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Left sidebar = 210px</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Right sidebar = 210px</div>
<br />
My other blog (click <a href="http://goaheadtakeabite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see the how it looks) is a 2 column layout and the dimensions are:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Entire blog = 1240px</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Side Bar = 340px</div>
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<b>Tip:</b> Make sure to check the preview below the editing space, before you apply any changes to the blog. Make sure that your text and photos still fit into the main body and that your widgets, etc. fit into the side bar(s).<br />
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Once you're happy with the layout, click <span style="color: #45818e;">"apply to blog"</span> at the top right of the page. The changes will not take place, until you do.<br />
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Next, choose <span style="color: #45818e;">"back to blogger"</span>.<br />
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You can go do that now, if you'd like. I'll wait for you. ;~)<br />
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OK. Back to photo resizing...<br />
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Step 1. Upload your photo(s) to your post as you normally would.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YkUeHmZ9dhg/T8KKSGD6dsI/AAAAAAAACzg/jrHC7Zfl0JQ/s1600/Capture+of+editing+bar+in+blogger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YkUeHmZ9dhg/T8KKSGD6dsI/AAAAAAAACzg/jrHC7Zfl0JQ/s620/Capture+of+editing+bar+in+blogger.JPG" width="620" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmQjVkdnXiQ/T8KIEgqPwwI/AAAAAAAACzI/xjo_WN3oVeU/s1600/Capture+of+add+selected+page+in+uploading+format.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmQjVkdnXiQ/T8KIEgqPwwI/AAAAAAAACzI/xjo_WN3oVeU/s620/Capture+of+add+selected+page+in+uploading+format.JPG" width="620" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NH-gPW3SHM/T8KL6u8qKUI/AAAAAAAACz4/gXHNBcaLH1A/s1600/Chicken+Salad+Sandwich+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NH-gPW3SHM/T8KL6u8qKUI/AAAAAAAACz4/gXHNBcaLH1A/s320/Chicken+Salad+Sandwich+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">This is what my photo looks like <b>without</b> changing the size. It's perfectly fine at this size, but it's lacking the "WOW" factor that I want.</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<center>
<ccenter><div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
Step 2. Go to the top bar in your post editor and choose <span style="color: #45818e;">"HTML"</span>. (Ok... I know it's scary if you've never done this before, but trust me... It's a piece of cake. Uh Huh... Really. It is.)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahOvLmDGhls/T8KMoU5MzII/AAAAAAAAC0A/PFOU5isVD1I/s1600/Capture+of+HTML+editing+button+in+blogger.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="67" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahOvLmDGhls/T8KMoU5MzII/AAAAAAAAC0A/PFOU5isVD1I/s620/Capture+of+HTML+editing+button+in+blogger.JPG" width="620" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Don't worry.... It's OK. Go on... click that button! You can do it!! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is the screen that will come up:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qF129c0CDG4/UUjEFY5gzdI/AAAAAAAAFPs/cBJiq7VGmp4/s1600/Capture+of+changed+pic+dimensions+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qF129c0CDG4/UUjEFY5gzdI/AAAAAAAAFPs/cBJiq7VGmp4/s620/Capture+of+changed+pic+dimensions+2.jpg" width="620" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Look for the HTML code for the photo(s) you want to enlarge. The code will begin with </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #cc0000;"><a href</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> and it will end with </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #cc0000;"></a></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> The numbers that I've circled are the numbers you'll be changing.</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> Blogger usually sets the height at "240" and the width at "320"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Step 3. Change the <span style="color: #45818e;">height</span> to "475", the <span style="color: #45818e;">width</span> to "620" and the other number thingy, (whatever it is) to "s620". <span style="color: #cc0000;">**</span>see note below</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
If the main body of your blog is more narrow than mine, you'll need to play around with the height and width numbers. You might want to try: height "340" width "520"<br />
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Step 4. Click back to <span style="color: #45818e;">"Compose"</span> to go back to the editing page.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxGKcekhrOU/T8KPnMyMzhI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/h747BEkn7Hs/s1600/Chicken+Salad+Sandwich+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FxGKcekhrOU/T8KPnMyMzhI/AAAAAAAAC0Q/h747BEkn7Hs/s620/Chicken+Salad+Sandwich+030.JPG" width="620" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">This is what my photo looks like now! Yay!!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Why did I choose the proportions that I did? Well, simply put, the blog where I found the information, said these were good numbers to start with. So, I did. And, I liked it. And it fit my blog layout. You can certainly play around with it as much as you like. If you screw it up, don't panic. Just go back to compose mode, delete that particular photo and start over.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">**</span>I have no idea what that number is for, but the blog that I learned this from said to change it, so I do. I think it has something to do with the clarity of the enlarged photo. It's the same number configuration as the width of the photo, so I just change it to reflect that.<i> <span style="color: #45818e;">(if anyone out there knows what it really does or why it's there, please feel free to educate me. I'd honestly like to know.)</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
OK... Now, you can go back to compose mode, do your spellchecking, add your labels and anything else that you would normally do before clicking that "publish" button.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, If you have a photo that you've uploaded from another source and it doesn't have a defined height and/or width indicated in the body of the code, there's an easy way to fix that as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The <b>end of the code line</b> for the photo will look like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span>JPG" /></a> OR it might be, .PNG" /></a><br />
<br />
Right <b><i>after</i></b> the .JPG" and <b><i>before</i></b> the /></a> type in the following:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: yellow; color: #444444;">height="475"width="620" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">You'll use whatever dimensions you've decided on.</span></i><br />
<br />
So, to summarize: All of the original code stays the same, until you get to the end. The last bit of the code should look like this:<br />
<br />
<i>blah, blah, blah original photo info</i> <span style="background-color: yellow;">.JPG" height="475"width="620" /></a></span></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
Remember: Always "save" and "preview" to check the look of your changes before publishing your post. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
So... I hope this was helpful. <i>Please excuse the horrible job I did of drawing the arrows and circles on my example pages. At the time I took those screen captures, I only had the snipping tool that comes with the computer and it's very basic. I'll try to pretty them up in the future.</i><br />
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I'd really love to get your <b>honest</b> feedback about this tutorial, so <i><b>please</b></i> leave a comment with any/all critiques, suggestions and/or questions. I'd also love to hear about <b>what you'd like to see in future tutorials</b>.<br />
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I'm shooting for Wednesdays as a posting day for these tutorials.<br />
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My next tutorial will be:<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>"How To Make A Grab Button For Your Blog"</b></span><br />
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Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-56355504500120677942013-03-15T08:03:00.003-04:002013-03-15T08:03:30.279-04:00Thunder!Dia dhuit ar maidin!<br />
(good morning, loosely)<br />
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Just a little something to get everyone in the mood for this weekend!<br />
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And something a little more mellow...<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Just a little FYI about some posts that I've been working on....</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm going to be doing a series of tutorials called "Bling Out Your Blog". I thought I'd cover some basics, like backing up your blog and resizing your blog width, side bar and photos, plus a few that are a little bit more complicated (but not as complicated as you might think) like making a social icon follow bar for your blog and creating your own blog banner.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to web design or code, but I've learned a bit over time and thought I'd share it with my friends. If there is a particular tutorial that you'd like me to do, just leave me a comment. If it's something that I know how to do, I'm happy to oblige. :~)</span></b><br />
<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-46402803077070523812012-07-24T13:34:00.001-04:002012-09-20T13:37:04.735-04:00A Special Prayer RequestHello All...<br />
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It's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog and for the most part, it's been due to a very busy summer. A summer filled with home and yard work, parties, short trips and house guests. All pretty normal, generally happy things, right?<br />
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You know the old saying, "It never rains, but it pours"??
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Well, at the moment, I need... no, <i><b>my family</b></i> and I, need your prayers. And in all honesty, if you could spare a few good vibes and pass them along in our general direction, they'd be very much welcomed as well.<br />
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I know that we aren't the only people who have something difficult happening to them and one of the most important lessons I've learned in my 50 years on this planet, is to be truly grateful for the blessings that I <i><b>do</b></i> have, but at the moment, life is throwing us a bucket full of curve balls and they all seem to be flying across the plate at once.<br />
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On Thursday of last week, we received a call from Hubby's brother saying that their uncle, who has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease, is missing. The last time that anyone saw him was on Saturday afternoon. On Monday, his empty, out of gas car, was found sitting on the side of a very rural and desolate highway in Pennsylvania, seven or eight hours North of his home. The local and state police have searched by ground and air and they have been doing everything in their power to find him, but as of this writing, we still have nothing.<br />
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On Friday morning, my sister-in-law's mother passed away, following a brief illness. My brother-in-law, sister in law, their three grown children and our daughter, will all be arriving from out of town, starting on Wednesday, for the calling hours and funeral on Thursday and Friday. She lost her father at almost this same time last year and I think it's starting to really sink in for all of us, that we're at "that age" when the people we've relied on to guide and support us through <i>our</i> lives, are reaching the part of <i>their</i> lives, where their journey here on Earth is coming to a close. It's hard to lose the people that we love. And it's hard to come to grips with the realization that an entire generation is slipping away.<br />
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And as those of you who've known me for a while are aware, Hubby and I lost our precious younger daughter, <span style="background-color: white;">when she was just a little one,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> from a fatal reaction to a routine medication. She was a miracle baby, who blessedly came into our life, after several years of believing that we wouldn't ever be able to have another child. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Well, yesterday was her birthday. She would have been 12 years old.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Normally, at this time each year, I take a little time off from blogging, to reflect, remember and miss her in my own way. Not that we don't think of her and talk about her every single day... We do. She was <i>and still is</i> at the very core of our lives as a family and she'll never, ever be far from our hearts, or our memories. It's just that on days like her birthday or the anniversary of her passing, in order to be able to go on through the rest of the year with some semblance of normalcy, I need to be still and to heal. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">When you lose a child, I don't believe that you ever <i>stop</i> mourning for them. You pray and you move forward and do your best to live a life that has purpose and meaning, but that life is never quite the same again. I know that I'll have "these days" for the rest of <i>my</i> life, and </span><span style="background-color: white;">that's OK.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> I gave myself permission a long time ago, to grieve in my own way and in my own time.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">But, as you can see, we are in need of all of the prayer we can get at the moment. So, if you could spare a moment, to say a few words of your own choosing, it would be more appreciated than you could ever know.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Thank you and God Bless you all, for being the most amazing, supportive community of people, that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Mary</span>Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-68739719176205424612012-06-09T13:04:00.001-04:002012-06-09T13:04:05.768-04:00Summer ~ STMUSSHi folks... It's time for {yawn} an <i>exhausted</i> Songs That Make Us Sing Saturday. It's been a very busy summer so far and well.... I'm tired.<br />
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Although...<i> I suppose it is warmer and the sun doesn't set as early as it does in the winter.</i><br />
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Awww, who am I kidding? <b><span style="font-size: large;">Summer rocks!</span></b><br />
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OK. You know what to do, peeps!<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6757467829799211015.post-3135846780268527342012-05-27T12:28:00.001-04:002012-05-27T12:28:36.937-04:00A Little Fun With PicMonkeyI decided to go take a peek at PicMonkey, the new (free) photo editing program that seems to be taking the blogosphere by storm, since Picnik went bye-bye. I have to say that I'm impressed. It has just as many, if not more, features and it's really easy to use. You can get the app through Facebook and do your photo editing from there as well. I chose a photo of my grandoggie, Tonka and just messed around with the features. My daughter wasn't amused by the tattoo I gave him. <i>killjoy...</i> Click <a href="http://www.picmonkey.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to check PicMonkey out for yourself.<br />
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<br />Mary Sullivan Frasierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10796241299065062308noreply@blogger.com1