Daily Tarot: "Opportunities"

This card indicates that faith in yourself and your own abilities are lacking at present and this is bringing about your fear and/or lack of hope. This card brings news that opportunities are close at hand, a bright light which will lead you to a higher path and helps lead you out of this feeling. It is important to remember that these opportunities are not guaranteed to arrive and you must stay committed to your desires and the opportunities will arise. Not all opportunities may appear to be immediately beneficial, however all the opportunities you are about to receive are sent to guide your course through this life.

Eco-paints

There are many paint brands that are virtually free of nasty, fume-producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Conventional paints release low-level toxic and headache-inducing emissions for years after application.


Devine Color
~start at about $30/gallon

Devine is a small line of richly colored paints, with a thick texture like yogurt (so that fewer coats are needed).
This paint is so easy to work with, and it really does go on like rich yogurt! The coverage is fantastic, and the paint wipes easily off brushes. It has a beautiful, subtle sheen and the color changes with the light of the day. I used it in my San Diego house, and I've convinced my mom to use it in her house in LA too. My parents love the color! This is my favorite eco-friendly paint so far.



Tried and true colors: Devine Delicate Wall Finish in Olive




Benjamin Moore Eco-Spec
~ $34/gallon
An awesome all-around paint. The sweetish-smelling semigloss and eggshell finishes provide a highly durable, washable surface, ideal for the bathroom or a kid's room. The only drawback: no dark, saturated tints (which have a higher VOC content).


Yolo Colorhouse
~$35/gallon
Has an excellent consistency, pleasant finger-paint-like odor and zero VOCs. If you're looking for a nice selection of off-white colors, look no further! The Air series has lovely pastel shades of white that you apply on top of hospital-y white walls to warm up but still brighten any room.

Yolo only comes in only 40 colors, but all of them are earthy and gorgeous, and the company offers poster size color swatches ($4.99 each).

Tried and true colors: YOLO Colorhouse® Inside Palette in Air.02

My favorite Taiwanese dish?

Pork chop rice of course.



Liang's Kitchen in San Gabriel

What's hiding in your make-up bag?

I finally tossed out a bunch of old make-up that's just been sitting around in my bathroom and vanity. God knows how old it really is or what's growing in there. I really don't want to know.

I've watched segments on this topic on the Tyra Show and the Dan Ho Show. Girls have weird attachments to their make-up. Many consider a precious collection of some sort. I am guilty of this too. I always thought "I might need this color one day" instead of "How old is this? This might give me pink eye or acne". Anyway, I decided to part ways with much of my old make-up and make it a point to buy new cosmetics only when I run out of something. So far so good.

The Tyra Show had a good suggestion on keeping track of when to toss out make-up. Put little stickers with expiration dates on the bottom of cosmetics using the following guidelines.

When it's time to toss them...

Blush: 2-3 years
Liquid Eyeliner: 3 months
Eyeliner Pencil: Can be kept until you've whittled it down to the stub, as long as you sharpen regularly.
Lipstick: 1-2 years
Foundation: 6 months - 1 year
Mascara: 4 months
Make-up sponges: Wash weekly. Toss after 2-4 weeks
Make-up brushes: Clean every 2 weeks with gentle shampoo and water.
Moisturizer: 1 year
Self-tanner: 2 years
Sunscreen: 1 year
Tweezers & Eyelash curlers: Swab with alcohol after each use.

New luxuries.

Fresh sheets
A clean desk
An entire day where I have nothing to do.
Beautiful luggage to globe trot with
Weeds that look like flowers.
Beauty products that actually work
An old-school Leica film camera
Not being in a rush
Things made by hand
A vintage Rolex
Having fewer items instead of tons of junk.
People and places that haven't been discovered yet.
Swimming in the ocean (but not anywhere along our coastline!)
Having cupboards filled with pretty china and glass.
Humor - not taking stuff too seriously
A cleaned-out closet.
Good coffee
A Lee Industries sofa.
Being more instead of having more
Caring less about what others think and more just what makes us happy.

Pre-Mother's Day Luncheon @ Huntington Gardens

Mother dearest and I spent a lovely day at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. We had high tea at the Rose Garden Tea Room and walked around the beautiful grounds.

There was something terribly wrong with the camera I was using. There is tons of noise in the photos. I lost the charger to my trusty Fuji Finepix so I had to bring along an older camera.

Of course we had to stop and smell the roses.

Confession

For now, I found a balance, one that works for me, and I work hard every day to keep it that way. To keep things simple. I write about life, about relationships, about love, about creating and creating some more, about the good in my world. A world that is all about family, friends, and faith, one where I can create and by myself. What more could a girl need?

Hearts.

Once you learn how to draw a heart, you just want to keep doing it. There's something calming and satisfying about drawing them. Maybe it has to do with symmetry, and the curves.

Unique Los Angeles

I'm very suspicious about compliments. I don't like it when people sugarcoat things for me. You know, I'm honestly the best judge of my own work. It really rings insincere to me when people are too complimentary. There's a lot of empty flattery in this society. You have to keep a really level head about when you're good and when you're not.