Monday, March 24, 2008

Yippeee!! Baby D. has arrived!

OK, so this has very little, if anything, to do with shopping, but I just got a wonderful phone call from Jimmy, telling me that "baby D" has been born! YAY! Baby D. is the sweet angel yet to be named, born to my friend, of something like 23 years, Stacie (aka: Schmoopy).....it took them a long time to reach this point & to have this little girl, so I wanted to shout from the roof-tops once I got the awesome phone call announcing her arrival. YAY! Baby weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces -- she & momma are doing great!

I am SOOO happy for them! I get to visit them at the hospital tomorrow.....I plan to bring Momma & daddy a basket of edible goodies....mostly CARBS at the request of Stacie, who was on a strict pregnancy diet due to gestational diabetes. *SIGH* But, all that is behind them now....a healthy & beautiful baby girl has entered this world to 2 spectacular parents & I could not be happier. I will be shopping for some dark chocolate short-bread cookies, cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit for the basket to be topped off with a tiny plush baby duck for Baby D.'s nursery.

Yipppeeee! What a happy day!!!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Did someone say Make-Up??

My first trip to ULTA was last night.....a friend had been telling me about it for months now & I finally went in for a test-drive. My first reaction: WOW! Where do I begin? This place is huge & there is so much to look at!! I don't have near enough time or money to do what I wanna do in this place!

At any rate, my goal was simple, I wanted to investigate a mineral make-up called PUR so I needed to focus fast! Of course, my first stop inside the store was the cosmetics section under the Ulta label itself. Ooops! Much like Sephora, another fave store, Ulta carries its own line of cosmetics, including a line of mineral make-up -- just not my color.
: (
I did manage to grab a couple of eye-shadows that looked pretty at only $6.50 a pop! Then, I make my way over to the non-drugstore brand cosmetics section (the store is set up where one side is "drugstore" cosmetics & the other side is "department" store products, with hair products & salon in the rear). I found the PUR aisle & played with the various items....of course, MY shade of pressed mineral base was sold out, but I did find a cute little starter kit in my shade for about $35. It came with a nice chisel brush, the pressed mineral base (in Golden Medium) a mineral bronzer (for lack of better terms or its real name) and a marble mineral dusting powder of sorts for highlighting, etc.

Normally, I used the pressed mineral base by Jane Iredale & I LOVE it!!! It's pricey at about $52 (sold mostly at spas) although I can often find my colors on E-bay for less. I had heard about PUR and since it was around half the price, I thought I should give it a try. Besides, I am currently rather pale (it IS still Winter, technically) and my current Jane Iredale shade is too dark now. I needed a paler shade for the moment.

So far, really like PUR. The color is a good match & the true test will be when I work-out at the gym because my Jane Iredale stays on FOREVER! I love that --- no touch-ups during the day!!! I hope PUR does the same.

All of this aside, my main point for this post is to share that ULTA is a fun store with a GIANT selection that will not disappoint any cosmetic lover! And, I learned that new shipments arrive on Tuesdays, so if they are out of your color, at least you know when to check back, like myself!

I walked out of ULTA about $50 poorer & with my hands & wrists covered in all sorts of test colors, but it was a worthwhile trip! I joined the "frequent buyer's club", for free, so I can earn points for freebies after continued shopping there. I can't wait to go back!!

Happy Shopping!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Upcoming Flea Markets

Missed the Rose Bowl Flea Market last Sunday due to some unforeseen circumstances...*sigh*. We were really bummed to have missed it, but it forced me to investigate some upcoming other similar such flea markets, so that was a good thing.

RG Canning, the event company that hosts the Rose Bowl Flea Market, also does a monthly Flea Market in Ventura. The schedule is not quite as exact, but there is an event this month on March 30th from 9am - 2pm. It's only $5 admission for those that arrive at 9am or later. If you go as a early bird, admission is $10. No pets allowed, so they say. It's located at 2706 Harbor Bl. in Ventura, off the 101 Freeway. I am sure it's beautiful out there! Here is their link: http://www.rgcshows.com/EventInfo/VenturaFleaMarket/tabid/54/Default.aspx
This event is held one Sunday per month & dates seem to vary. There are no scheduled dates in July or August or December of this year.

Another big event is this Sunday, March 16th in Long Beach. It's the Long Beach Outdoor Antique & Collectibles Market & it looks & sounds huge from what I read online!! Again, only $5 admission between the hours of 6:30am - 3pm. This one is held at Veteran's Stadium near Lakewood Bl. in Long Beach. Just might have to make up for last Sunday's loss by checking this one out this Sunday! If we do, I will report back with my findings. Here is the link to their site: http://www.longbeachantiquemarket.com/
The downside is rain is predicted for this Sunday........but we shall see! This swap meet is held the 3rd Sunday of each month. They boast 800+ vendors on 20 acres containing antiques & collectibles at "bargain prices"! The event is held rain or shine.

Happy Shopping!