Life & Love

Last night was lovely. Chuck and I were due to meet my friend from DC later in the evening, so we turned the earlier part into date night. First I went to the Lilly store and he helped me pick out not one, but TWO dresses (so unnecessary, but they are cute and will get lots of wear!) and browsed Williams-Sonoma before sitting down to a nice dinner at Circa 1922 downtown – a favorite we hadn’t been to since we first moved here. It was delicious.

For dessert we hit up the famed Kilwins Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe, and leisurely shared a giant fudge brownie waffle cone while taking in the gorgeous view I captured above. The humidity killed my curls (back down to stick straight, I’m telling you) but it was just balmy enough as the sun went down to enjoy the Riverwalk through Downtown. Cape Fear sure is beautiful.

I completely agree with Ms. Kendrick! I always feel so pretty in that scenario too. Except most of my “diamonds” are secretly not diamonds at all. 🙂

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I’m no beauty guru, but…

There are only 3 products I’ve ever used that truly, dramatically accomplish what they claim:

– Agadir Argan Oil Spray. I have fine hair that tends to get limp in no time. It was severely damaged several years ago, so I gave this stuff a try, and now my hair is in great shape!! (It didn’t take all several years though, don’t worry.) I still use it after every wash, whether I blow dry or not. Other leave-in conditioners are too heavy for my hair, but this is perfect!

– Revitalash Conditioning Serum. Non-prescription Latisse. Not to brag, but my eyelashes are kind of amazing after using this for a few weeks. The drugstore equivalents do nothing in comparison. It’s kind of pricey, but you can find it cheap(er) on sites like eBay, and it does last a while!

– St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse. I’m not just fair – I’m pasty – so I’ve tried every self-tanner in the world it seems. I was really skeptical about St. Tropez, thinking it was overhyped and overpriced, but let me tell you – it’s NOT! I’ve never tried anything that’s more fool proof and odor free than St. Tropez. The mousse goes on evenly and dries quickly. It doesn’t stain my clothes, and it’s actually brown, rather than orange. It can be used for subtle glow, or for a deep tan, though it’s more cost-effective to use it for the glow. I think I’d still rather get a professional spray tan for the deeply bronzed look, but for a quick and nice light tan, this is a gem and completely worth the money!

Anyway, just thought I’d share my success stories, for anyone who’s wasted a lot of time and money on useless gimmicks, like I have…

Chuck gets watermelon and eggs for the 4th of July! It’s the little things… 🇺🇸🍉#soexcited #countyourblessings #happybirthdayamerica #deployment #milso #usmc

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Worried about my mom these days…. She sounds like she’s crashing. Her voice sounds small and lonely. She is out of money, in pain from untreated dental problems, and eating meals provided by local Catholic charities that serve the homeless – but feels so guilty about it that she’s volunteering and cleaning there (so typical of her!)

She tells me stories of the other homeless people she meets, and even manages to giggle and find humor in some of the situations. I miss her laughter. She even called me “sweetie” and asked about Chuck…

The delusions are still there – I have to remind myself of that – but it’s hard to hear her say “I so wish I had a friend.”

#Hopeless.

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Currently reading:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I expected a tough read, but it’s actually not that bad, with the exception of the long names that I can’t pronounce. Luckily, Tolstoy repeats the full names with almost every reference, so that helps me keep the characters straight.

Chuck and I are reading it together, so we can discuss it together (and watch the movie when he gets home!) Supposedly it’s touted by some as one of the best novels of all time. We’ll have to see about that!

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Watched “The Land Before Time” last night…

… and I must say, that movie is kinda deep!! Of course, I was also crying like a baby throughout. The same way I do when I watch any movie from my childhood these days. How are they children’s movies in the first place?! There is some serious material in them! They’re not all fluff and innocence.

I guess it just went over my head back then, and I focused on the cute animals and the happy endings and the fun music.

Seriously though. Dumbo. Cool Runnings. Anne of Green Gables. Bambi. They’re all so much more powerful now! Everyone go watch!