Red Lipstick

I don't understand the fashion of the last few years, to put a "nude-ish" color on your lips. I watch the "makeover" shows (e.g. "What Not to Wear?"), and they do a great job with the clothes and the makeup until...the lips. "We're going to put a light, transparent gloss on your lips." Which (in my humble opinion) makes them disappear into the rest of the face.

My own lips have a problem. They have almost no natural color (thus, "disappear" into my face without some assistance). So Lipstick has been my close and b*som friend since junior high. Oh, I tried the Frosty Glosses (they came in a bottle with a roll-on top)--they made my lips look swollen and colorless, kind of like a mutant jellyfish. I didn't even buy my senior photos because of this disastrous mistake.

I do very well with Color. Not frost, not "matte," just Cream. But there is Another Issue. Lipstick does not look the same on my lips as it does in the tube. If I see someone wearing a color I think would look good on me, I can't just go out and buy the same thing they are wearing. It is a long and arduous process to find a color that will replicate that "look" for me.

Violet, Forget-me-not, and I played a game one day. We each put on the same lipstick to see how it would look on us. I wish I had taken a photo--couldn't be more different. And I was the "winner" in the Looks Least Like the Color in the Tube division.

There are only a few colors that I can wear. I do mauve-y pink (I can also do Watermelon, but it has been years since I've found one I can wear), mocha, and Red. Ahh, Red. I can wear both the cranberry-blue kind, and the Tomato Red, 1940's kind. Not so many of us can carry that off. And there is something different about Red, as opposed to other colors. Call it Sassy. Call it Confident. Hey, you have to be confident to wear Red. Red says Look at Me.

I have always said that if stranded on a deserted island, I would need: 1. my Bible (of course), and 2. Red Lipstick. My list always stops there. I find it difficult to go on after talking about Red.

No doubt about it, Red is Fabulous. To see the Fabulous Power of Red, look down at Tuesday's post, at the Christmas Eve picture. Then ask yourself, don't you need some Red lipstick?

Red Shoes

About ten years ago, when Blackeyed Susan was three, I made her an Easter dress in a style that was then very popular--the bodice was white with navy polka dots; the skirt was navy with white polka dots, and it had a wide red ribbon sash. I picked up two pairs of shoes that spring--matching white and red patent leather Mary Janes.

When I finished the dress, I showed it to my 75-year old mother. She was always so ready to praise any sewing project I made. Then I pulled out The Red Shoes.

She gasped.

"Ohh!" she cried. "These are wonderful. I remember a pair of red shoes I had when I was a girl. Every girl needs a pair of red shoes. Red says Happy!"

Isn't she right? I currently own two pair of red shoes. One is an extremely useful pair of wine-red (cordovan) leather Mary Janes. I was lucky enough to get these $80 shoes for $29.00. I've had them for three years, and I wear them with both jumpers and pants. They are my *go to* shoes for winter.

My other pair is a pair of Naturalizer sandals. The store displayed them in black and brown. I tried on the brown pair, and had just about settled on them when the clerk said, "These also come in Red."

The word was electric. Little fireworks, complete with American flags, accompanied that little three-letter word. Of course, there was no decision to make then. Red it was.

If you don't own a pair of red shoes, you need to. If not this winter, get them in the spring. It will make a difference in your attitude!

Whew!!

I promised pictures of some of my crafty gifts. I realize that they are not as complicated and exquisite as many of the things I've seen around blogland in the last few weeks. But here they are, anyway.
I made six "useful" scarves for my five sons and one son-in-love:
For my five girls (daughters, daughter-in-love, and MacGuyver's lovely girlfriend), I made fun, funky scarves from fun yarns:

I made Sweet Pea a little lambkin from Mrs. Turkey Feathers site. I like the delicate colors.

For Blueberry, I made a dolly with red flannel pjs in a pillow-bed of his own. It's from a commercial pattern:

It's a two-faced doll--this is the "asleep" side:

Flannel pj pants for six, ready to go:

(I have made up to sixteen pairs in a season, but did scarves this year)

Christmas Eve picture, tho' the grandbabies have been long asleep at this time:

Christmas morning, and what do I find under my tree? but a 25-pound Blueberry with a green bow (my favorite color!):

Lots of noise, wrapping paper, and bows later, we stowed our treasures and five of our children made our way to the nursing home to see my Daddy:

The others plan to see him today or tomorrow.

This morning, Violet has made her way home, and MacGuyver and his lovely are making their way back to New York. Charming is back to work, and I am considering making my way to Wal-mart for the after-Christmas sale. I have avoided this the past two years, but now my wrapping paper stash is about exhausted. But Alvin (who got a Playstation II for Christmas) needs a memory card to save his games, and is pushing to get it TO-DAY.

We'll see. It's nice to not be partying today. This Christmas was four big days long, and Mommy is tired. The house is pretty quiet, and I Like It...

Christmas Surprise

We were so excited when we found out that MacGuyver was coming home for Christmas! He moved to NYC in June, to begin a big adventure. I have never gone six months without seeing one of my children before, so it was a Big Thing for Mommy. He was scheduled to come in tonight (Saturday) about 5 pm... ...but showed up Last Night about 7 pm!! Screams of joy, especially from little bro and sis Alvin Fernald and Blackeyed Susan! Me? I just couldn't get enough kissing!

Violet is in town now, too, for the holiday. All eight of my children and four grandbabes will be together for Christmas Eve and Day. There is no better present in the world, except for the One that started it all:

"Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift."

Have a blessed, blessed Christmas holiday with your families!

Party Time

This weekend was Charming's family Christmas parties. Saturday night was our biannual shindig thrown by my dear mother-in-love. The theme was "Glitter." I loaned dear m-i-l the tiara that Forget-me-not wore at her wedding. It is "real" rhinestones:
You may notice that Mom is wearing a banner that says "Miss Cassopolis 1953." I decided that we needed to bring back the Glory Days, and made her a new banner. Miss Darl was a reluctant beauty queen--she is known as the jeans-wearin', goin' fishin', tool-totin' Grandma. Her mother asked her to enter the contest. She showed up for practice in jeans, and they sent her home to put on a skirt. (so-o-o 1953, isn't it?)She borrowed a formal for the event, and her comment is, "if I had known I would win, I'd have bought a new one myself!"
You may notice my daughter Violet on the right. (Charming's only brother is in the middle.) This party has always been for Darl's own children and spouses. When Violet was about 14, she asked Grandma when she would be old enough to come to the adult party--Grandma said, "never!" It is her one thing with her own children. So Violet (who had borrowed *my* rhinestones to wear in a wedding) took the opportunity to bring my "glitter" directly to the party, to see the mysterious happenings. We made her leave after appetizers....

but I did take the opportunity to get a fabulous photo of Violet with her Daddy.

A great time was had by all. Food, music, conversation--what it's all about. I made little recipe books of some family recipes hand-picked by Darl to give as gifts. Now we all have the recipes for some of the legendary dishes. Some of the recipes were really old, though, as you would expect. One recipe called for "a large lump of butter." Another called for "some cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt," and many of them had no instructions at all. Thank goodness I've been cooking for awhile, or I'd have been lost.

Sunday morning, Charming's dad and wife had a brunch for the entire family. I saw Violet again, and this time she was allowed to stay! I got to see my brand-new grand-niece. This new generation (of my grandchildren and grand-nieces and nephews) is going to be different of that of my children and their cousins. In that generation, only six of twenty-one are girls; 15 boys. The newest generation has nine so far, and it is 5 girls/4 boys already. Four of this generation were born this year--our family is growing!

After supper tonight, my grandkids are coming over to make cut-out cookies. I've just finished the dough, and put it in to chill. Then I'm off to take Alvin Fernald to finish shopping--I finished last week, and took Blackeyed Susan yesterday to finish hers. YEAH!! Then all I have to do is a grocery run, 'long about Friday. Oh yeah, there's All That Wrapping to Finish, Too.

Have a blessed day, doing whatever preparations you are doing today. May the Lord prepare our hearts as well, for this blessed celebration!

"No Peeking!"

I have been very, very busy, working on projects for Christmas presents. I so-so-so want to show them all to you! But alas, some of the recipients are my faithful blog-readers, so I cannot. Instead, for your viewing pleasure, I'll share some pics of a visit last week from my four favorite grandbabies.

Here is Sweet Pea, sitting beside Grandma:
Blackeyed Susan caught Junior Asparagus and Laura Carrot doing one of their favorite things, watching an episode of Veggies:

Then there is Blueberry. He's quite intellectual. You can tell this because he is such a "voracious" reader:

I am pretty excited about where I am at, with two weeks to go. I have to finish one knitting project, and do another small one. One more craft project, and pj pants for the babies, and I will be done!

Hope your week is fruitful, and blessed as we await the celebration of the birth of our Saviour!