Add it to my list: vol.1

I've had a "favorite beauty products" post in my draft for months (15 months to be exact; that's just ridiculous.)  Anywho...when Lauren announced this new link-up where we suggest products, services, and more, (or really, anything) that we use/watch/listen to and regularly recommend to others, I thought "Great! I can finally post that beauty list!"

Some of these are bargains, and some cost a little more, but I believe that it is money well spent.  I have worn each of these products for years and years, some products even decades, (except the Too Faced products, but they won me over instantly.)  After all, this post is all about me recommending you adding it to your own beauty list, so I want it to be products I have experience using regularly.

Clinique Superpowder Double Face Makeup - I have used this item since as long as I can remember.  I don't wear foundation.  Never have (except when required to on drill/dance team.)  I have freckles, and I'm perfectly okay with them showing.  This is the perfect coverage for me.  It's a powder, but it's a "super" powder...so, it gives a little more coverage than regular powder but nowhere near as heavy as a foundation.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - I'm a little bit of a mascara junkie.  I buy lots of it.  I wear lots of it.  I change them up.  I double them up.  But, time and time again, I come back to my good ol' faithful mascara in the lime green and bright pink packaging that I've used since I was 14 years old.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - Yes, it costs more than Great Lash, but dang, it's some fantabulous mascara.  Most of you know this because I starting using it after I saw several bloggers rave about it.  And, it seems to get better the more I use it. 

Too Faced Melted Matte Liquiefied Lipstick - The pigment this produces is insane.  It's staying power is great.  The color doesn't run, doesn't smudge.  I am almost at a point that I won't wear any other product, and I'm a gal who likes to wear a different product mix everyday.  And, this red known as "Lady Balls" is definitely the red I've been looking for all my life.

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Bare Maximum - For days that I just want a little color, not a nude, but not too much, this is my go-to.  The picture on the link actually looks more orange that what it is.  It truly does stay.  I never need to re-apply.  I'll be honest.  I've spent money on a lot of other products trying to find a replacement for it, but I haven't found a color that I like any better on me for this purpose.

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner - This eyeliner goes on easy and STAYS.  It doesn't smudge or run.  I've lived in hot and humid climates that have caused other eyeliner to make my eyes look like a raccoons.  Not this one.  Yet, it is super easy to remove when ready.  This is well worth the price.  I like my $1.99 eyeliner as much as the next gal, but when I want to put on eyeliner and know it will last all day, through sweat and tears, I'm happy that I've invested in this product.  I've owned and used seven different colors and loved them all.

In this picture (no filter), I'm wearing products that I recommend.  Too Faced Melted Matte Liquefied Lipstick in "It's Happening"; Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in matte black; Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black with Too Faced Better Than Sex waterproof mascara on top; Clinique Superpowder Double Face Powder in matte honey; plus eye shadow is MAC eye palette "Navy Times Nine".  Sure, my application is a little heavy (I was going out for the night), but I wanted to show a full face using the products on my go-to list.

Tell me: will you add any of these to your list?

Joining Lauren and Bre for the first "Add It to My List" link-up...

Sunday's Seven Snapshots: Houseboat Holiday

Okay.  Yea.  There's probably going to be more than seven snapshots this Sunday, but hey, I was on holiday...

Thursday was AUSTRALIA DAY!  It was also the last weekend before school starts back up for the stepkid.  We figured a long weekend getaway was called for, so we rented a houseboat.  This is something my guy has wanted to do for years, and it's on my "50 Before 50" list.  Win all around.

This was our "luxury" houseboat.  We decided the business should be called "Friendly Houseboat Hire" or "Myall Lakes Houseboat Hire" because I think "luxury" might have been a little misleading.  But, it was fine.  Seriously. 

Think RV or caravan, but on water.  My biggest piece of advice: don't rent a houseboat with people that you don't want to be trapped in a small space with, 24/7, can't get away, for a few days. 

Where we rented is about 3.5 hours north of where we live.  You start by driving for about 2 hours down a river that spills you into a lake system of 4 separate freshwater lakes.  The first day was overcast, and the river reminded me of Louisiana swamps. 

What did we do for 4 days and 3 nights?  Relaxed and rejuvenated.  Yes, we had pretty decent phone service and charging abilities, but I made a point to take a few pictures, then put the phone away. 

I disconnected from the phone and the rest of the world, and I inhaled fresh air while connecting with my two favorite guys. 

There were several places to anchor or moor and go on some hikes as this set of lakes is apart of the Myall Lakes National Park.  We did this a couple of times.  One hike took us to a BEAUTIFUL beach, but I had been swimming and didn't have my phone with me, so you don't get a picture except this one that I borrowed from the internet:

Photo Source

The boys fished a little but didn't catch much.

We swam.  The bottom is sandy and no dangerous Australian animals such as stingers, crocodiles, or sharks anywhere.  That's a bonus. 

I did a little driving from time to time.  It is a cruising boat...not a speed boat...so it doesn't go anywhere fast.

Mostly, I helped navigate.  Or, really, I helped decide where to go/what to do by pointing on the map.  Then, my guy got us there while I read, relaxed, and got some sun.

Finished one great book and started another

Got a little sun

Checked out some of the locals like watching pelicans fish for food, watching a goanna stroll on a boat dock, feeding the greedy ducks, and watching the black swans glide across the water.

We played monopoly, watched a couple of movies (by the way, " Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" movie is actually pretty entertaining), and took in these views:

I got back to reality, had a few news notifications, and discovered Donald Trump's attempt to halt refugees from certain countries and targeting certain religions, and my blood immediately began to boil...but, I refused to let it ruin this trip.  So that topic will be for another day's post.

Have you ever stayed on a houseboat?  Would you?

A Decades Playlist by Jana and Erin: The Men of the '80s

In case you didn't notice, we (Jana and Erin) skipped our playlist in December.  Let's remind you that we are taking a trip through the decades of our musical faves from the '50s, the '60s, the '70s...and that brings us to...THE 80s!!! Everyone's favorite! And since the 80s is massive, we've decided to split it in three: one for the men, one for the women, one for the groups. There might even be a hairbands one in there but we're not sure yet.

Anyway, like most people, we love the music of the '80s. I (Jana) spent my childhood in the 80s (I turned 13 in 1990) and Erin entered her teen years during this decade. Beyond that, the 1980s had Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev. Charles and Diana got married. The Berlin Wall came down and AIDS was on the rise. The 80s also had Saturday morning cartoons, neon (so much neon), THE MOTHERFUCKING FRAGGLES, big hair, and the Brat Pack.  It also saw the birth of MTV (you know, back when it played music) which helped launch or sustain the career of so many artists including these guys:  

Rick Springfield, "Jessie's Girl". Quite possibly one of the best songs ever written. Okay, in my (Erin's) opinion, at least. Jana's take: "Love Somebody" is a better song and also, Rick Springfield is my favorite Australian. 

Billy Idol, "Rebel Yell". Yes, the obvious choice because it's just so, so good. Jana's take: I have yet to hear a Billy Idol song and NOT had it stuck in my head for days afterwards. 

David Lee Roth, "Just Like Paradise" because when he broke from Van Halen, I (Erin) refused to pick sides. Jana's take: I didn't give a shit when that happened but this is a great song.

Bobby Brown, "My Prerogative". This was before drugs, alcohol, and arrests. He was awesome. Jana's take: Sadly, who could've predicted he'd be the last one from that family still standing.

LL Cool J, "I'm Bad". This lady (Erin) certainly does love cool James. "I'm Bad" is probably the first rap song I (Erin) knew word for word. Jana's take: When I was pregnant with The Child, we called her LL (for little Lynch). We're so clever. Also, did you notice LL never dies in any movie he's in? WHY IS THAT?

Elton John, "I'm Still Standing". A new personal anthem for me (Jana). Also a fun song. And there's a great cover of it in the movie Sing.

Eric Carmen, "Make Me Lose Control". There are no words to accurately convey how I feel about this song. I simply love it. 

John Mellencamp, "Authority Song". The struggle was real picking a JM song. Too many good options to choose from but I (Jana) settled on this one since I crank it to 11 when I listen to it. Erin opted for R.O.C.K in the U.S.A. which, incidentally, was my second choice. 

Steve Winwood, "Back in the High Life". Another one I (Jana) find beautiful and absolutely love.  

Phil Collins, "Don't Lose My Number". Confession: I (Jana) LOVE PHIL COLLINS. Almost as much as I love Billy Joel. Actually considered flying to Ireland to see him in concert in June #notajoke   Erin's take:  I do not love Phil Collins, but that's okay, this is a collaboration, and I'm happy for Jana to have her love for Phil.

We could probably list all the reason we love all the men and songs on this list (full playlist below) but instead, we'll just do our In Memoriam and get to the music. All of these men redefined how we think of a man, all of these men (well, three of four) empowered women, and all of them were influential, phenomenal musicians whose impact will be felt for decades to come. That, and their music is just fucking timeless. There's no editorial on these as the music speaks for itself.  RIP.

George Michael, "Father Figure".   Erin: I freaking love this man's voice, and I am glad Jana picked a song because I'm not sure I could narrow it down to just one.  If you too are a George fan, in case you missed this, I'm going to share this link where Rolling Stone perfectly gives you George Michael: 20 Essential Songs.

David Bowie, "Modern Love"  

Michael Jackson, "Man in the Mirror"

Prince, "Let's Go Crazy". Jana:  I could not find a decent video or a link to accompany this song which is a fucking shame. This song is incredible and showcases everything Prince was capable of.  Erin:  So, I "cheated" and included Prince's SuperBowl performance because it is the best one ever...EVER...and he opens with Let's Go Crazy.

And here's the whole playlist:
    

What are some of your favorite 80s songs performed by men?

Thank you, marchers

Alyssa marched in Washington D.C.

Andi marched in Charleston WV.

Christina marched in Seattle.

Crissy marched in Portland.

Erin marched in Berlin, Germany.

Jennifer marched in London.

Julie marched in N.Y.C.

Kaity marched in Cincinnati. 

Kelly marched in San Diego.

Lauren marched in Houston.

Shelby marched in Austin. 

Steph marched in Washington D.C.

Tiffany marched in Houston.

Tracy marched in Washington D.C.

This list.  This list includes friends from my teen years, college years, young professional years, and blogger friends too.  This list is just a slice of a very, very large pie.  Some marched with friends, others with family, and several had their children with them too.  This list includes: a domestic abuse survivor who has worked with other victims and speaks in public forums about her experience; a child of Mexican immigrants who graduated from my same university; church worship leaders; a friend whose sister is married to a woman, and they've received death threats because of it; a mother of a homosexual daughter; well-informed, well-intended, well-educated strong human beings.

As I looked through their posts and pictures, my heart was bursting.  They marched for you and for me.  My post is their post, so I will share their pictures. 

"I marched to stand up and show my support for women, but also children, people of color, the LGBTQ community, the environment, health care, veterans, immigrants, sexual assault victims, education, Muslims, and people with disabilities. Everyone."

Thank you, marchers.

Sunday's Seven Snapshots vol.107

Y'all hear me talk about Book Challenge by Erin quite a bit...well, another reason that this group is fantastic is the idea that Megan presented to our group ~ a book exchange!  If a reader is in search of a particular book, and another reader has a copy of the book (and they are willing to give it up), that book goes to its new home for free.  Just the recipient is responsible for cost of postage.  Bev in Switzerland and I are exchanging books (as seen in this photo...she gets an Aussie bookmark too!)  If you are interested in books that I have on offer, check out the list in our goodreads group.  You don't have to be a challenge participant to request a book from me. 

It was raging hot again earlier this week, so there were more indoor doggie naps with doggie snuggles.

What's going on in this picture?  Well, if you've ever gotten inked, you probably recognize this look.

The results!  My dad married my 1st stepmom when I was 16, and sadly, fourteen years later, she was taken from us after a courageous battle against brain cancer.  They had a big cactus on their back patio of their lakehouse...a very special place to them...a special place for all of us.  The only time I ever saw a flower actually bloom on that cactus was last visit to see her before she passed away. 

Then...I got sick...in case you missed my update on instagram...I went to the doctor expecting strep or tonsillitis based on the nasty activity going on in my throat.  Instead, the doctor sees a fever, my throat, and swollen glands and diagnoses me with glandular fever (which I later learned is a fancy way to say "mono" in Australia.)  No blood test was done, so no confirmation of that diagnosis, but needless to say, I've pretty much been in bed the rest of the week.  Luckily, I have sweet cuddle partners to keep me company.

They know that mama is sick.  These boys barely left my side the rest of the week.

Even though Ricky is our most mischievous, he can be awfully sweet and cuddly when he wants.

I'm on the mend (I think), so hopefully I'll be back to normal in the next day or so!  Hope you've had a fabulous week!