beauty post

hello Hello!
I told one of my friends I would do a "beauty" post and so here it is.  I am by no means even a "home" expert on skin care, I'm very bare bones when it comes to makeup and moisturizer, etc., but seeing as I'm approaching the big 3-0 (omg kill me) I think I need to start taking it waaayy more seriously.   

So today, I'm gonna post about a skin washing/moisturizing technique that I learned a while back and LOVE.  It's simple, effective (in my humble opinion), and very gentle on the skin.  I was using this method at least 3 times a week for a while, and it made my skin so SOFT, and WAY less oily (side note: i have oily skin).   :)  Without further ado, it is called the OIL CLEANSING METHOD.   Yes, that's right folks, we're cleansing with oil today, not water. OIL.  greasy, yummy oil.  :)   I say yummy because you can use basically any cooking oil; Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil (I like this one), Grapeseed Oil, etc.  They all have different characteristics that will nourish the skin.  

Now, I know some people might be apprehensive because if you have acne prone skin oil seems to be your worst enemy.  That's just not true.  The oil WILL help remove the oil on your face, BETTER than commercial cleansers.  AND, it will control the oil because your skin will not feel starved and dry, so it will stop producing so much as overcompensation!  Again, in my humble opinion, using toners and products that dry out your skin when you have oily/acne prone skin, will only cause more irritation and more oil.

The theory behind this method is very logical and I think makes perfect sense.  Let's compare it to nail polish.  You put the nail polish on and it dries and you go on your merry way.  Four days later you realize you need to take it off but, alas, you don't have any remover left!  What do you do?  You go get your nail polish, slap on another coat, wait a second, and then wipe off.  Your nail polish is gone.  Or think of a sticker which you've just peeled off some glass and it leaves some tacky gunk behind.  You take that sticker and smack it against the gummy parts and it picks up what's left! 

WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT after this LONG and CONVOLUTED explanation, is that "like removes like".  We have oil on our skin and, therefore, we can remove it with oil!  This is MUCH more kind to the skin, as opposed to using chemicals in all these fancy shmancy face washes to strip the oil.  It's akin to using chemical paint stripper to remove paint from furniture rather than good old fashioned sanding!! (I've always got to add a bit of drama, don't I?)  Now, I know there are some face washes that are fine for your face (I only use CETAPHIL), but I find a lot of the time my face feels dry and tight after I'm done washing with the "fancy" cleansers and that's a BIG no-no!  If your face ever feels that, CEASE using that product immediately!

OKAY, how to implement your oil cleansing, here we go.  You will need three things, OIL, CASTOR OIL, and a WASHCLOTH.  That's it.  (You can find Castor oil in the laxative section of your local pharmacy).  The ratio of Carrier oil to Castor oil depends on you.  I usually do 50/50, but you have to use what will make your skin feel comfortable.  The Castor oil is what could potentially make your skin feel dry, because it's the ingredient that will remove the dirt and bacteria from your face, the oil is just the carrier.  So fiddle with the ratio until you find what works best for your skin.  You can also do, 50/25/25, where you use Castor Oil, Olive Oil and maybe Sunflower Oil.  There are so many oils you can use; Avocado oil, Apricot Kernel oil, Evening Primrose, Calendula (which is really sunflower oil infused w/Calendula), and so many more!  A lot of sites will detail what the benefits of each oil are, so do some research!

Keep in mind, Olive oil does not absorb into your skin as easily as others.  That's why I love Sunflower because it absorbs quickly.  Again, you have to try it out to know what works for you.

THE METHOD:

1.  Mix your oil(s) and Castor oil together in a clean glass container.

2.  Apply to your face with your hands.  I like to do this method at night, it doubles as a makeup remover as the oil zaps the makeup away.  (Yes, it has the power to zap).  Rub in gently in a circular motion for about a minute or two.  I like to do it for longer but I'm not sure if that's good or bad, it's fine for me.   Close your eyes and pretend you're at the spa.  This is a good time to just take some deep breathes and relax.  :)

3.  Take your washcloth, run it under HOT water, and wring out.  Hover the washcloth over your face so it will steam the pores a bit.  Do this a few times as the cloth gets cool pretty quick.  

4.  Rinse the washcloth in very warm water this time, wring out, and start wiping the oil off of your face.  Rinse the towel as many times as you need until you have wiped all the oil off your face.  You want to make sure the tackiness is gone, which is the castor oil.  Don't overwipe.  Be gentle.  

this is you, gently wiping your face

5.  Splash your face with cool water.  

6. FINITO!  Feel the soft pillowy cushion that is now your face.

Keep in mind, like anything, you have to stick with it for a while to see results.  I used to do this method about every other night, I'm not too sure what the frequency should be.  But, I am posting this method because it really worked for me, so if it can work for someone else, then I'll be a happy pappy (ode to Flintstones).

TRY IT.  YOUR FACE WILL THANK YOU!

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It's raining, It's pouring...my cat is snoring

It's raining today.  I love it.

Perhaps I have a depressive personality, but something about the rain is so calming and comforting, yet still fear inducing when it's thundering and lightning.  I love sitting outside when it's really coming down and just watching the storm.  It's a fascinating dichotomy how a rainstorm can create a feeling of peace and also terror.  How rain could be a blessing but then sometimes a curse.  It just reminds me that we are these little tiny specks in something so much greater.  

Which is why it is SO important to finish our craft projects before it's too late.  =X  j/k. half kidding.   

It was nice and cool outside because of the rain, so I decided to try and finish my "top secret" project.  It really wasn't top secret, I was just trying to create buzz.  haha.  Buzz among my three followers.  :)  I know I always mention you guys but I don't mean it negatively I swear, I really do ♥ you.  ;P  

So the project was to take those plain wooden tv trays that you always see at Canadian Tire or Target (we have four in our house!) and make them into something pretty!

here's the ugly sucker

So I took one table, and I took alllll the ideas I've seen on various blogs and decided to make something hopefully beautiful.  :)   As I roamed through the blogosphere I noticed all the "cool kids" have been doing something or another with gradient colours.  So I decided to use that in conjunction with the numbers decoration style (nod to Red Hen Home).

Problem is I don't have a darn vinyl cutter, or stencil, so I took the painstakingly long route of reverse stenciling the letters and numbers on.

I painted the wood, then stuck stickers on top of the green/blue paint

It was a pain mostly because the blue is very dark, so painting over it with the white made it necessary to apply many many coats. 

Then, the paint was so thick it was a TAD difficult to take off the stickers.  But it worked out.  One more coat of paint on the legs, and then some poly (tips for poly application, anyone?), and I will show you the final product.  Here is a pic with stickers removed...

the paint was very metallic so it was very shiny when I took the pic

FORGIVE ME, I know I said I would never take crumby pics again after the Fabric Necklace Picture Fiasco of 2011 (don't you love how dramatic I am?), but I don't have my camera!!  I had to take pictures with my crappy NON-SMART phone and SEND each photo to my email in order to get these photos onto this post!  Well they aren't thaaat bad I suppose, but they aren't super clear or very visually pleasing either.  hee.  =I

I will show you finished project in my next post!

Happy Tuesday All!  :)

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Can ANYTHING go right??

Hey Hey All!! I know I haven't been on in a while.  I have THREE projects ongoing that I can't finish for this reason or that.  I didn't know what to blog about.   On top of that I don't have my camera, so I can't even show you the yummy goodies I cooked up this week!  :(    It's soooo frustrating!!  

{{ARRRG!!}}

How about I just tell you about what I baked?  I happen to looove savoury treats, personally I would much rather a salty chip than a sweet cupcake, so on the menu this week was Red Lobster biscuits and Cast Iron cornbread.  DOUBLE YUM. I can't even tell you how much I love cornbread.  The first time I ever tried it was at  Kenny Rogers Roasters.  Does anyone remember that restaurant??  They closed down in Canada a loooong time ago, not sure when they closed in the U.S, but apparently they're still opened and flourishing in Asia.  Weird.  Anywho, I am going to post the recipes when I make them again (and have a decent camera with which to take pictures), but they were delicious so stay tuned.  I found the recipes online but made amendments, I can't wait to show you!!  I'm sorry for being a tease.  :(

Onto another problem, so I've been working on the big dining table, remember this one?  I got the inspiration from Korrie @ Red Hen Home, but I decided to not use the vintage french signs.  Instead I used this...

Since I'm putting it on a dining table, I thought it was most appropriate and super cute.  I found it on the blog Vintage Ephemera.  I love visiting antique shops and seeing crates and tables with stamps like this on it.  I love everything old.  It just takes me back to a time where I think everything was simpler and better.  Where people worked hard, where things were appreciated more, and when life and family were of the utmost importance.  I could be wrong, but I like to imagine that.  :)  I don't think I'm wrong.  Am I wrong????

Okay, I think I've digressed ENOUGH for one day, back to the table.  SO, I started painting the sign on, I used a projector which I grabbed off someone from kijiji.  Problem is, I used it for 5 hours AND THE LIGHT BLEW OUT.  Can you believe it??  I was in the ZONE too.  I finally got the hang of which brushes would be best for which letters and my hand was finally less shaky and I was more confident.  Then...darkness.  So here is what I have so far...

I know, it looks weird.  Apparently I like NOT painting in order.  Thus, the three commas and random E and T's.  :)  hee.  Anyway, I am already ON getting a new bulb, but I'm so sad because it's probably going to take at least a week and a half to come.   =*(    You know what though, the other project I am working on (top secret!) is proving to be indispensable to my learning how to paint furniture properly!  I've hit a few bumps, i.e, there are BUMPS and LINT particles in the paint!!!!!!  The horror.  So it's not super smooth.

THEREFORE, I have learned (i'm sure all of this is obvious to you pros): 

1. Make sure you sand properly before you paint

2. Make sure you get rid of all the dust on the surface before AND try to protect the surface WHILE the paint is drying

3. A PROPER brush is VERY important

4. Don't be lazy and be patient.  Paint nice and slowly, with long strokes.

Since I will be painting the legs of the above table, this is SUPER important for me to know how to do properly.  Anyone have any other tips for me??  :)   I will show you my top secret project in my next post!  I can't waiiiit.

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