Wordless Wednesday

School Breakfast Club

My morning duty before school starts is breakfast. I've been doing this for years. Breakfast isn't as busy, loud or chaotic as lunch. I make sure it's a nice atmosphere. We don't have all the lights on so it's not so bright. They can get up and get a spoon or a straw that they forgot without asking. This year we don't have a rowdy 5th grade table that I have to worry about. My biggest issue is getting the Kindergartners to eat and not socialize so much, so they can make it to class by 8:00 am.
I usually bring my Ginger and Raspberry cereal and eat right along with them (sitting and the edge where I can still see everyone). They know I'm watching. I have what I call my breakfast club. We'll include everyone. It's a nice way to start the day.

I've even gotten used to watch them pour chocolate or strawberry milk over their Cinnamon Toast Crunch and eating it. Using 2 packets of jelly on one piece of toast. And some do like grits and eat their oatmeal!

I have them trained to not throw away milk, juice or cereal that was not opened. I take that back to the clinic and put it in the refrigerator. They can come and eat it when they are hungry or save it for kids that didn't have time to eat breakfast!

I've even had two sisters with lollipops in their mouth tell me (after I asked them not to eat candy for breakfast) that their mom gave it to them, just as she was walking up with their breakfast tray. Go figure!

So I you are visiting our school, please stop by for breakfast. Like I said we welcome anyone!

Italian Bakery

We have a very internationally influenced town that I live in. Quite a mix if I do say so. I love living here, especially where my house is located. The Gulf Gate Neighborhood has been voted number 1 several times in Sarasota "best of" in the Sarasota Herald Tribune they have each year. Anyway yesterday I went to the Oriental, Food & Gifts to look for ingredients to make Moon cakes. Next door (I mean literally next door) is Tastefully British store and tea room (had fun going to tea there we'll have to do that again). We skipped the Italian deli today, I get my Parmesan- reggiano there, and great sandwiches and baked ziti etc... they have a few products, it's where I get this pasta I forget the name but I can only find it there. We skipped it because we wanted to check out the new Danish Bakery that just opened. This is all on one street. The Danish Bakery was a little too new and pricey, so we went to our Italian Bakery, just a couple of blocks over then a little bit down. On the way we stopped at my gas station and picked up some fresh made Feta Cheese, (this is so good you can just sit down and eat it) and some spinach pie. She always makes them fresh in the morning, sometime I take it home and warm it up on my stoneware. So the bakery is just a block over, they used to have a fresh vegetable market next door, but the closed a few years ago. Okay so I didn't get all that much at the bakery because we have a small family and I have to do Martha Mondays challenge which is a dessert this week. I got the Sicilian Bread (I love this) hermits, the owners dad asked where I was from and why did I get the if I wasn't from New Jersey! My mom used to make them. So the owner gave me a sample of something that had dates and figs in the filling, that's the thing with the sprinkles. Maranda had to have the Red Velvet cake. The bread is so good I have it for breakfast with Apricot Jam. It is a huge loaf so I had some dukkah left in the freezer and served it with that. Yumm. Dukkah is a blend of nuts, seeds and spice, originally from Egypt. I made mine with pistachios, hazelnut and almonds, spices like coriander, mint, peppercorns and cumin and sesame seeds. When I find my recipe I'll post it. You dip the crusty bread in a good olive oil (I get a good Greek olive oil at my gas station) then you dip it in the nut mixture. You can also use it on chicken or fish. the recipe makes a lot so I keep the extra in the freezer and pull it out when I need it.

Friday Favorites

Here are a few of my favorite brushed for applying my mineral makeup. Below the top brush I use everyday to apply my eyeshadow wet. It's a 1/4 " flat (shader). The next one down is 1/8" flat (shader) I like to use with the gel liner it, use the flat edge lined up with the edge of your lashes, kinda like the one stroke painting when she uses a flat brush to paint a line. It holds up well to the thicker gel. The thin liner brush I use for wet lining with the loose mineral shadow and sealant. The bottom brush is a smudge brush, used to smudge, hehe.

These are some pencil brushes I like to use for the crease or dry lining top or bottom lash line.

I am really liking my ecoTools travel kit brushes. I use this for my blush and the others for shadows. The middle one is nice for highlighting under the brow.

My fiber optic brushes I use for my finishing powders and perle powders.

Just a few of my favorite brushes that I use most. Some I got a Michaels and spent just a couple of dollars on, my flat shader I use and clean everyday and it's held up just fine. What are some of your favorites that you use everyday?

Wordless Wednesday

Passion Flower

My Birthday Pedicure

A friend of mine took me for pedicure as a birthday gift. My birthday was in August, but this is the first chance we got together, (you know she is a world traveller). It was rainy, a perfect day to sit in a massage chair while your feet are soaking in a tub of nice warm water. It was a surprise, so she called before she came to pick me up to tell me to wear shorts and flip flops. I was none the wiser. I was wondering where she taking me where I would have to wear shorts, I thought maybe a tide pool, he he. With Jeanne you never know! We had a good time. I love my feet messaged, and it was a hot stone message! We even got some artwork added to out French polish. She asked if I wanted flowers added, I didn't know and the guy doing it said yes, the kids at school will love it! Yes, this is true, so here it is.

Thanks Jeanne! It was a great gift, I enjoyed it, and the kids at school loved it. Can't wait until Halloween!

Martha Mondays

Molasses Spice Cake

I posted my Martha Mondays results on my food blog The Tiny Skillet this week. I figure next weeks organization challenge, will be here. For those of you unfamiliar you can read about it on
Martha and Me . Hope you check them all out.

Time to Vote

A little while back I wrote a post about all the places in Sarasota and the bay area I've been visiting, while taking pictures for a contest put on by Aromaleigh . That is where we all try to get creative and take photos of Aromaleigh products in all sorts of locations. It was for the contest "Where in the world is Aroamaleigh?" Two of my photos made the finals and you can vote for one HERE. My first photo is of the sculpture on The Bay Front Unconditional Surrender also known as "The Kiss" with the WW II sailor and the nurse. My second photo is of Aromaleigh written in the sand of the #2 rated beach in the US this year Siesta Beach. So if you would be so kind to check them out and cast a vote. The time to vote is now! Voting is open until Sep 16 so plenty of time to tell your friends.

Also check out the Shine a Light support my small business national contest and Aromaleigh is now at # 5 and climbing. The information is in the sidebar. Thanks everyone!

Edited to add: Late yesterday they voted in favor of keeping the sculptor where it is on the bay front for the next ten years! The donor was very happy! (Paid $500,000.00)

My Labor Day Weekend (pretty calm)

My weekend has been pretty quiet, with Wade being out of town. Maranda starts school on Tuesday. I've had plenty of time to get her school supplies and clothes ready. We had such a hard time finding khaki pants that fit her though. Everywhere we go they had plenty of jeans, but she can only wear khaki. I think we have enough for now, but only one pair of shorts. We have it all worked out how she is getting home. Her school gets out at 2:00 PM I don't get out until 3:30 PM.
So yesterday she asked me to cut her hair about 2" all around (she showed me about 3" where she wanted it cut). Then she wanted her bangs shorter than the rest of her hair, just a tad longer than her chin, and she wanted it tapered from there blending in with the rest of her hair, then she wanted it layered in the back to give it more lift. Whew! I think I got it! With all her hair she had to sit through a lot. So last night before she went to bed I did get a picture of the back.

You can see the layers a little, but I can always go shorter. She's got that wave in her hair that wants to flip up in spots. I took probably 4" off by the time I was finished. At least she was happy with it.

I started making vanilla extract, it should take about 6-8 weeks. Done in time for the holidays.

I also started a food blog, The Tiny Skillet I figured I would keep my food tips and recipes separate, but if you want I can still post some here too. One problem with a food blog is you have to take pictures of everything. Tucker thinks I'm nuts, he follows me, thinking he might get something, then flash, flash. Then I move the food back, he's really getting excited because he sees all the food left on the plate. Mind you we don't feed him people food, he has allergies and we don't want to mess that up. But that doesn't stop him from hoping something might fall and it's his! Got a shot of him as long as he was laying there and my camera was out. I have a lot like that I guess.

Today Maranda was shopping with a friend so I thought I'd run to Sally's to find the African royale hot six oil that Robyn over at Robyn's Nest Blog has been using for the past 5 years. Our Sally's doesn't carry it, either does our Walgreens, but Sally's was having a Labor Day Sale including 50% off their clearance items. They had some sulfate, and paraben free and cruelty free hair products that ended up being $2.50 each. We all are trying to stay sulfate and paraben free (and always cruelty free). So I got shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, texture cream, and bohemian beach spray.



See I told you it's been pretty laid back. Well Maranda is back (she got some hand sanitizer at Bath and Body. She'll need that this year, we don't want the swine flu in this house) so we are going swimming. Hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Friday Favorites

This is a new favorite of mine, as a matter of fact just this week. I was so happy with this polish that I was showing everyone at work my nails. A little while back I was reading on a friends blog Krista' Fascinations about SpaRitual nail polish that lasted her for a while. I was surprised and had to ask about it. Well I haven't had time to order it, but I found my Orly and wore it for this week. I used OPI base coat, 2 coats of Orly "cupcake" then Piggy Polish Over the Top on top.
I don't know which one did it or all three but it lasted me all week. I mean not one chip. Check out the photos. I only reapplied the top coat on one finger (left ring finger) Wed night.

Now mind you I don't have a dishwasher, and I did dishes, I work in the school's clinic so I wash my hands all the time! Not one chip all week I was thrilled, so much I had to share!

What I'm using right now...

I saw this on some of my friend's blogs and enjoyed seeing what everyone's favorite products. I thought it would be fun to do the same so here goes.

Shampoo: Just finishing up with Giovanni Organic Hair Care 50:50 balanced, My next shampoo and conditioner that are waiting to be used are EO Essential Vanilla and Coconut with Tangerine(Both are sulfate and paraben free)
Conditioner: Same Giovanni 50:50 / then EO Essentials

Styling Products: Abba Pure Volume Gel, Lure Beauty Control the Frizz Hair Serum (this is a new product that I just got and I'm loving it) L'oreal Studio line Downright Smooth (I think this might be discontinued)

Shower Gel: EO Essentials shower gel Lavender and Aloe

Body Moisturizer: Alba Kukui Nut Organic Body Oil, EO body lotion Rose & Chamomile. I think I want to try Robyn"s African Royale Hot Six Oil when my kukui oil is gone- I use it in the shower (water still running) too.

Deodorant: Secret Invisible Solid

Cleanser: The healing garden skin organics rehydrate facial cleansing milk. I alternate with the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM).

Moisturizer: Olive Essence Antioxidant DMAE

Toner: Rachel Perry Violet Rose Toner

Exfoliator: Olive Essence Facial Scrub and sugar scrub for my body

Skin treatment products: Glycolic Acid (Aromaleigh), Vitamin C serum & cream(Aromaleigh), Emu oil

Primer: Aromaleigh Silk Powder

Foundation Brush: ecoTools kabuki

Concealer: Aromaleigh pink cream concealer

Foundation: Aromaleigh Voile 3P/3C mix

Finishing Powder: Aromaleigh Metamorphosis Powder.

Blush: Aromaleigh Sweetheart, glorious, and Dolly and Meow Scream to name a few.

Bronzer: Smoky Mtn Minerals Sun- Kissed Bronzer (usually just on my chest and shoulders)

Highlighter: I like using Aromaleigh Perle Powders, In Bloom, Kindle are my current favorites.

Eyeshadow Base: None, I apply my first layer of Aromaleigh shadow wet and I've never had an issue with creasing or it coming off.

Eyeshadows: Mostly Aromaleigh eye shadows, she has the best blues.

Eyeliner: Bourjois Liner Clubbing

Eyelash Curler: I've used my Maybelline one for over 20 years, just got Shu Uemura with some of my birthday money and 20% off coupon from Ulta. Not sure I like it, I think the Maybelline one fits the contour of my eye better.

Mascara: Max Factor Volume Couture

Lipstick: Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Lips Nourishing Lip Tint.

Lip Gloss: AL

Nail Color: I have been wearing Orly Cupcake and it has lasted me all week, I love it.

Wow that took longer than I thought. Okay there you have it for now.....

Wordless Wednesday

My first shot at night photography with this outdated camera. Next time I'm using a tripod.

Busy in the Health Room

I just wanted to share a little part of my day. Our job in the Health Room at the beginning of the year is getting all the paperwork for meds that have to be taken at school signed, sealed and delivered. That is a feat in it's self. You try getting all the correct info from doctors and parents! Then we have to get all the Yellow health emergency cards out, signed and back to us. We decided to wait instead of sending them out in last years report card so we won't have as many number changes. Meh, that didn't work, we still get phone number changes even if we got the cards last week (which we did). So now I have a pile of 750 cards that have to be alphabetized and filed in between all the kids that are coming in.

The students started back to school on Aug 24th. The first week was relatively quiet. We had already been prepped at our Summer Health Institute on what we have to do to try and prevent H1N1. So far so good. Most of the tummy aches were due to starting school nerves, I'm used to handling that. Sometimes a little too good, because they like coming back to see me.

This week was another story. I swear they all forgot how to run over the summer (must of been inside on the computer). We have a new P.E. Coach this year so he is sending everyone in to the Health Room. He says he has already gone though his box bandaids and is going to need more gloves. So maybe I could of seen a lot more! (He's doing great filling out the health slips)

Monday is always the worst day in the Health Room. For some reason coming back to school after the weekend is hard. We saw over 50 students, and today wasn't much better. Now this is common later on in the year, so I can hardly wait to see what it's going to be like. At least not much on H1N1, and thank goodness for those magic bags of ice!