Urban Decay 24/7 Sets

You know what I love more than my new Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils? Give up? Okay, I'll tell ya. It's my new Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

I'm so glad this eyeliner was included in my 24/7 Set because otherwise I never would have tried it. The set I bought came with the Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy and I love it! 🙂

The sets come in two choices, either the Stereophonic or the Hi-Fi, and both are a great bargain at $29.00. Each comes with four 24/7 eye pencils and one Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

I was on the phone with BigSis while I was in Ulta shopping last month before our Vegas trip.  I remembered her telling me that she loved her Urban Decay eye pencils, so when I stumbled upon the display of these sets, I asked her about them and she said they were the same pencils!

These eye pencils are unbelievable. Not only do they go on really creamy, but they are also waterproof and stay on all day! I'm so glad that I picked up one of the sets.  I love every single color that came in my set.

The Hi-Fi set includes the new shade, Mildew, a deep green, which is exclusive to this set. The set also includes Zero (black), Flipside (teal), 1999 (plum), and the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Distortion, an iridescent sparkle.

I picked the Stereophonic set that features the new shade, Crash, which is a rich eggplant color that is exclusive to this set. This set also includes Zero (black), Underground (metallic taupe), and Gunmetal (dark gray like it sounds). And my favorite item in this special set is the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy, a beige sparkler.

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner

I think the main reason that I even tried this eyeliner is because we were in Vegas and I thought it would be something new and fun to try! And, I haven't stopped using it since. It's really easy to apply with a tiny, precise brush so you can apply as much or as little as you like. Just a little line of this over the 24/7 eye pencil adds just the right amount of glitter! You can even add a dab to the inner corner of your eye for a real pop!

The Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner comes in over ten amazing shades! These usually retail for $18.00 each so getting one in this set with four eye pencils for only $29.00 is a real deal!

If you have someone on your Christmas list that loves trying new things with eye makeup, one of these Urban Decay sets would make a perfect gift, for under $30.00.

And, believe it or not, just a little glitter does make a girl really happy! 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

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Welcome to the first post of BigSisLilSis! We've wanted to blog together for a long time, and finally decided that we weren't going to wait until we had the time to do it. Today is what we have, we are thankful for it and we're celebrating it!

We're really sisters and really friends, but we live a long way away from each other so that means we're on the phone and emailing ALL THE TIME! We talk about everything and nothing at all, and just really felt inspired to share a little bit of what we've learned, what we believe in, what we're excited about, what we hope for and what we know to be true.

So, what's up with BigSis and LilSI? Here is a little frivolity and some fun facts so you can get to know us a bit:

Who are we?

LilSis: Forty-something wife/mother/sculpting student

BigSis: Forty-something/single/crafting/cookbook-collecting/recipe-contest-entering/compulsive organizing aunt

Where do we live?

LilSis: In a suburbian neighborhood in San Diego County where Bunco, Book Club meetings and “tupperware-ish parties” occur frequently, mainly as a reason for the girls to get together for cocktails.

BigSis: In a condo in Northern Texas

What is our living situation?

LilSis: I live with my husband, my two sons, a twelve year old Great Dane and a feisty Siamese Cat.

BigSis: I live with two rescued street cats; one is a sweet high-maintenance Siamese, the other is a solid black rascal.

What do we do for a living?

LilSis: I work from home for SirHoney's business. I happen to be juggling several positions at this time; AdMin, HR Director, Payroll Clerk and Accountant. Oh, and that's my real job. My night time job is doing laundry and cooking for three hungry men! And in my dreams, I'll someday make a living by doing a series of sculptures that are actually worthy of being displayed in local galleries.

BigSis: I have an intense position as the Business Manager of a small partnership in a Dallas high-rise building.

Meat Eater or Vegetarian?

LilSis: Meat Eater. I could probably be a vegetarian if I lived alone. But, considering that I live with three meat-eating men, it would be impossible for me at this point in time.

BigSis: Vegetarian for 14 years! I have days when I'm a raw-foodist and days when I'm a vegan, but I just strive to eat as consciously as I can and don't beat myself up on my off-days.

Breakfast Eater?

LilSis: Absolutely. I eat breakfast at 6:30 in the morning before taking my vitamins. First breakfast is usually Irish cut oatmeal or a banana and blackberries in Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt or a half of a wheat English Muffin. Then I usually have a second breakfast after exercise, which is most likely an egg or a light string cheese.

BigSis: Yes, yes. First breakfast is always a frozen fruit smoothie at 6 am with flax seeds, vitamin powder and unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze. Second breakfast is 3 hours later at the office, and is sometimes a banana, but usually Irish oatmeal.

Baker or Cook?

LilSis: Cook. I love to cook! I hate to measure and rarely follow a recipe that I don't change. I learned the hard way that doesn't work in baking. D used to tell me that I made good cornbread even though every single time I would inevitably do something wrong and it would turn out flat as a ding dang pancake.

BigSis: I love to cook, but being single, I can get away with being lazy at the end of the day, and just having a giant pile of salad for dinner. But I love love love to bake! Give me a reason, and I'm a baking fool! I'm a perfectionist, so the exact science of baking is right up my OCD alley.

Food weaknesses?

LilSis: I can't resist Crunchy Cheetos or any kind of Mexican Food. Basically, the saltier the better! And on the rare occasion that I actually go see a movie at a theater; I can't resist the popcorn even though I know that my stomach is going to blow up like a balloon. I don't know why as you get older; you can't eat the things that you used to enjoy without some sort of side effect. (Maybe we'll discuss that later.)

BigSis: I can't pass up a Crunchy Cheeto either, or Mexican food, or veggie pizza…darn these salty genes! But I have to admit my total-without-control food is Kettle Potato Chips. I don't even buy the ding dang things because they disappear into my tummy in a nano-second and magically appear in a nano-second on my derriere.

Signature Dish?

LilSis: The kids all love it when I make my Bowties and Sausage; which is originally from BigSis' cookbook. Back when all the kids were at home, I would triple the recipe and use 3 lbs of pasta and 3 lbs of sausage. BigGuy, Big T, and HayHay all request the holiday potatoes originally from BigSis' cookbook. I'm lucky if ten pounds of potatoes feeds these hungry guys!

BigSis: When I was a meat-eater and meat-cooker, it was my stuffed mushrooms with italian sausage and cream cheese. Now it's probably my vermicelli pasta salad or my brownies.

Exercise Routine?

LilSis: Run two times a week, do yoga twice a week, and ride my bike twice a week. I usually take one day off, which is usually Sunday. I'm getting motivated to add some weight training on my yoga days.

BigSis: Cardio and weight-training at the gym 3 or 4 times a week, and walking 2 to 4 times a week as the weather allows. I'm trying to get back into my routine of adding a 5 am yoga class 5 times a week, and doing the occasional Pilates DVD when I can.

Beliefs?

LilSis: Christian. I definitely believe in the Bible. I also enjoy reading a lot of books from Spiritual Teachers. I feel it just strengthens my religion as opposed to distracting from it as some people believe.

BigSis: Christian. I believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and it is the authority for my life.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

LilSis: Well, I go to bed around 11:00 or 11:30; I usually wake at 1:00 with insomnia and am awake for awhile, then wake up with the dog at 4:30, maybe go back to sleep for two hours and get up with HayHay at 6:30 to get him off to school. So, am I an early bird and a night owl? Luckily, I function pretty well if I get five hours of sleep at some point in the night.

BigSis: Early bird! Especially when I get in the 5 am yoga habit! I'm more productive early in the morning and have more energy. Don't ask me about the late night talk shows!

Signature Hair Color?

LilSis: Almost platinum blonde. (That's only because it matches my gray best)

BigSis: Garnier Nutrisse Medium Golden Brown. Totally DIY. I've never in my life had my hair color done in a salon! I'm a low maintenance girl!

Signature Pedicure?

LilSis: Another little fetish of mine; I am obsessed about keeping a nice pedicure. I guess my most common one I get is either a regular French Pedicure or the French Pedicure with a color on the tips. I always have to do something a little different. I get bored easily. Right now, I happen to have purple on my toes. It's a new OPI called Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not.

BigSis: Well, DIY again! I love the China Glaze and Essie brands. My signature color for my toes is China Glaze “Fuschia”, and Essie “Wife Goes On” occasionally. If I ever wear color on my fingernails, it's OPI “Bubble Bath”. Top coat is always Sally Hansen Power Shield with Sally Hansen Dry Kwik on top.

Music Style?

LilSis: I am still basically stuck in the 70s/80s classic rock style. I do listen to some pop, but my favorites are still the rock bands like U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Boston, Alice in Chains, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Peter Frampton, ZZ Top; I could go on and on…

BigSis: I listen to Christian pop about 95% of the time. The other 5% is a mix. I like Dave Matthews, Keith Urban, and Kelly Clarkson, for example. And Peter Frampton, can't forget him!

Piercings?

LilSis: Normal pierced ears, upper ear piercing in left ear and belly button piercing. (I just got a new piece of jewelry for my belly after having a simple ring in for almost ten years)

BigSis: Two sets of regular ear piercings. I almost got a belly button piercing several years ago before it was really popular, but once it became so mainstream I lost interest in it.

Tattoos?

LilSis: I have one memorial tattoo on the inside of my right arm in memory of D.

BigSis: None.

Weak area of body?

LilSis: Head (That's typical of Aries). Lucky for me I have a hard head. I've had a hammer dropped on my head from a boy in a treehouse, I've fallen from a tree landing straight on the sidewalk on my forehead and I've broken a car windshield in a car accident with my head but have never had stitches. (Knock on wood!) I used to have a lot of headaches; but not so much anymore.

BigSis: My weak spot is my lower back, and it flares up from time to time. It's a genetic weakness for sure that's always been a challenge, but it didn't help to be in an Acura-smushing car accident 20 years ago that involved a hit from behind from a careening old Cadillac that pushed my little car into the car in front of me. Can you say whiplash? A car accident attorney was definitely needed then!

Coming soon are our “Favorites” and our “Top Five” lists. Then, you'll know just about anything you could possibly care to know about us (maybe more) and we'll move on to more interesting topics!

Posted under Family

I hate to break it to you, but it's December.  Yep.  And if that isn't enough to put a little panic into your bones, consider the fact that 3 weeks from this weekend is Christmas!  3 weeks!

Fear not though!  Even if you haven't yet given one single thought to Christmas, it isn't time to freak out.  It's time to get organized and we have some tips to help!

Make lists! These are a few to get you started:

• Gifts to buy

• Christmas cards to send

• Other things you know you'll need, like Christmas lights or new Christmas dresses for the girls

• Charitable donations to make before year-end

Start a calendar. Pick one up at the office supply store, download one online, or just draw one out on a piece of paper…just do it!

• First add every function to it that you know about this minute

• As invitations for parties and other events come in, add them to the calendar so it's always current

• Add travel arrangements

• Add other important dates, such as shipping deadlines

Do as much as you can now. Seriously, don't put anything off til next week if you can avoid it.  You'll thank yourself later!

• Start your shopping NOW!

• Think about what you want to bake or cook this year, and if there are any new recipes on the list test them now.

• Don't wait until Christmas Eve wrapping time to find out that you need boxes and tape.  Get it now when you see it on sale.

Order online as much as possible. You avoid the crowds and the parking lot dramas that always occur, plus you get it all done at the speed of light.  And you can usually get great deals!

• Gifts, of course

• Christmas cards, gift bags and wrapping supplies, mailing materials

• Stamps (avoid that deadly post office line that steals your Christmas joy)

There you have it: our top 4 tips to get your Christmas planning off to a great stress-free start.  Now get out there and deck those halls!

photo credit: jannalauren

~BigSis

Posted under Holidays

Anyone addicted to Facebook? Have trouble focusing at work because you're tempted to look at your Reader ten times a day? Or maybe a particular website you can't stay away from?

Now, be honest!

I'll go first.

I did recently sign up on Facebook after much persuasion from relatives, but I purposely do not look at it every day nor spend much time on it at all. I can see how it could be addicting and time consuming if you let it.

I haven't joined the Twitter craze and probably won't any time soon. Since we are in the cell phone business, I really have no desire to be on my cell phone twittering when I'm away from the office. (Oh, but I guess congrats are in order to Ashton Kutcher for being the first to have a million followers.)

I do, however, have one little confession. I'm a tad bit obsessed with my Google Reader.  I check it every morning in anticipation of finding great new posts from my favorite sites!  Also, during the day, after I complete a task or a big project, I'll give myself a little treat and allow myself to look at my Reader again to see if there is anything new that came in since the morning. And maybe during lunch, after work, before bed and in the middle of the night (just kidding).

If you think you might need a little help disciplining yourself, then check this out. I recently discovered this little tool on this Daily Blog Tips post.

It's really a pretty good idea. Go to keepmeout.com and enter the url of any website that you visit too often.  If you try to access the site more than once within a specific time interval,  the service will block you and remind that you should wait some time before you can go there again.

You know what they say…the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. So here goes.

My name is LilSis and I am an addict. I'm addicted to my Google Reader.

~LilSis

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Happy St Patrick's Day!  LilSis and I are only 1/4 Irish at the most, so we can't really claim this holiday as our own, but it's a pretty fun little holiday anyway!  There are no responsibilities or expectations; it's just about the wearing o' the green, eating food you probably wouldn't eat every day like corned beef and cabbage (I'll pass), and having fun.  Oh, and green beer works its way into the celebration more often than not!  And do you remember when McDonald's used to have green vanilla milkshakes on St Patrick's Day?

I'm determined to find a delicious way to bake without using eggs and dairy, and I'm encouraged by my success so far with my favorite Pumpkin Bread and the Banana-Wheat Germ Muffins I made recently.  Getting braver, I decided it was time to be a big vegan girl and try something a little trickier…cake!  With St Patrick's Day coming up, I had the perfect excuse to bake!

I found this recipe for vanilla cupcakes on VegNews.com and was intrigued!  The amount of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar sounded very acidic, and I wasn't sure about 100% whole wheat pastry flour in cake.  My rule for a brand new recipe is always to follow it precisely the first go-round though, so that's what I did.

How'd the cupcakes come out?  My first thought was that they could benefit from a bit less sugar, and perhaps 25% to 50% all purpose flour in place of some of the whole wheat pastry flour.  They were pretty coarse in texture, and maybe a bit more like dense muffins than cake.

I took these to my test subjects at the office, and got a variety of reactions:

• A laugh and a shake of the head followed by a brisk/frantic walk away from the untouched cupcakes.

• Silence after eating one.  Dead silence.  Still silent.

• “It's really good, but I like things that taste like they're healthy”.

• ” That cake will take some getting used to but I like the frosting”.

• “Well, they look good.”

I'm convinced that there is a tasty vegan cake recipe out there; actually, I'm sure there are several.  Is this cupcake one of them?  Mmmm, nah.  But it's not bad.  And when you're vegan, maybe “not bad cake” is better than no cake at all?

~BigSis

Posted under Holidays