Living Seoul

This week I got really upset when I found out Valerie Hunter was suing Sheryl Mann Stack. Stack’s husband, Andrew Joseph Stack III, flew a plane into an office building last week and killed Valerie Hunter’s husband, Vernon. Joe Stack seemed pretty much crazy. It became obvious fairly quickly after the incident…because he also burned down his own home and left a very clear letter about his troubles on the internet. I felt terrible for the family of Vernon Hunter. Who wouldn’t? There was absolutely no reason he should have died. Wrong place, wrong time. But what business does his wife have suing the wife of Joe Stack? How can any amount of money help their grief? My biggest problem with it all was that it somehow made the wife of Joe Stack seem responsible for his actions. It’s horrifying to think that when you marry a person you could be held responsible for their insanity. Fortunately last night I saw a report that Valerie Hunter’s lawyer is amending the lawsuit so they’re suing Joe Stack’s estate instead of his wife. This is what I’m wondering…does anyone know the answer…?

-If you burn down your own house does the insurance company give you money?

-If you commit suicide (by flying a plane into a building) does your family get any life insurance money?

-This one’s more hypothetical…did Joe Stack even have much money to his name if he had all these tax problems?

I don’t understand what the Hunter family is suing for. Wouldn’t Stack’s money go to his wife and stepdaughter? So should Hunter’s family get to take it away from them? Both families lost a husband/father/provider. Both women have to figure out what to do next. I don’t think Sheryl Stack should be punished for being married to someone crazy. It sounds like she had enough problems if she was staying in a hotel the night before he went ballistic. She may have known he was unstable, but how much could she have realistically done for him? What could she have actually prevented?

The whole thing makes the Hunter family look kind of ugly. Even if they’re just suing the estate…is it really that much about money? Am I being totally naive? Valerie Hunter also had a job. They have a grown son. I felt such sympathy for the families of both men that died. The lawsuit leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

I started wearing makeup when I was about 13..it’s disturbing to think of the amount of money I’ve spent on beauty products over the past 10 years. However, I don’t regret any of it. To me, it’s always been fun to play with make up, hair, my nails, etc. My make up style has changed over the years, but I’ve definitely developed favorite products that I don’t stray from. I will share…

Urban Decay Primer Potion $18.00 – I’ve tried a few different eye primers, but none compete with Urban Decay.  It makes almost any eyeshadow go on more evenly, the color is more vivid and the application lasts much longer. No creasing either! I went on for years thinking my eyeshadow didn’t stand out enough. I have deep set eyes, so it’s sometimes hard to see eyeshadow on them. This fixed my problem.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara ~$5.00 – This is no secret. Best mascara ever. I’ve had a few others in my life time, but this has been a staple since high school. Recommended in “Blackest Black”. And it’s cheap!

Stila Smudge Pot $20.00 – I lined my eyes with pencil until about half way through college. Then I started using gel eyeliner–the kind you paint on with a little brush. It makes your eye makeup look more defined and exact. I started out with Smashbox Cream Eyeliner. It got kinda clumpy after awhile. It wasn’t as precise as I thought it should be. I tried Stila Smudge Pot (black) and haven’t turned back. It’s still difficult for me to get two perfectly matched lines across my eyes, but I prefer it over anything else. Winged eyeliner is essential–my favorite eye makeup. The only thing I don’t love about the Smudge Pot is that the product seems to dry really fast. It almost hardens and sets, so it makes it challenging to go back and fix mistakes. On the positive side, this stuff stays on! I’ve gone to bed with it on after a long night out and it’s still perfectly drawn on the next morning.

NARS Orgasm Blush $26.00 – I didn’t wear blush for a long time because I worried I’d look like a clown since my skin is so light. However, I’d always heard/read this is the best blush for all skin tones. Now I wear it every day; it’s hard to mess up. I apply most of it right on the apples of my cheeks. It makes my face feel balanced and glowy.

MAC Lip Conditioner $14.50 – I thought the lady in the MAC store was just trying to get me to buy another product, but it’s actually been the best lip product I’ve used! I’m VERY picky about lip products. Carmex is great–I have a tube of Carmex Strawberry that I apply at work, but it goes on too thin and slips off quickly. I also have a little pot of “Balmania” (gift from a friend) that coats very well, but I usually wear it to bed because it’s too thick. Also, it leaves no sheen. MAC’s product goes on lightly, but stays on! And it adds some shine. If you choose to wear lipstick over it (the reason I bought it) it keeps the lipstick in place and gives you moisture underneath. I find many lipsticks to be drying and they cause my lips to crack. This helps to fix that problem.

Smashbox Lip Gloss Fire ~$15.00 – I stole this tiny gloss from my sister a couple years ago, hahaha. It’s sheer, but gives a dark enough tint. I like to wear with over red lip liner when I don’t feel like wearing red lipstick (my favorite look). Unfortunately while researching the color, it seems to not be sold directly by Smashbox anymore. I’m almost out.

Chance Chanel $115.00/3.4oz - My first perfume…very well may be my only perfume. I started wearing it when I was about 17. I wore Marc Jacobs’ signature fragrance for a year (2009) but I realized it was a mistake and have gone back to Chance. I think it mixes well with my own scent. I can always smell it on my clothes at the end of the day. The reason I stopped wearing it for a year was because I thought it was too common.* I’d always hear of other people wearing it which makes it less appealing. But I get enough compliments on it and enjoy it enough myself to stick with it.

*Picked up pizzas from the cute guy at the pizza shop and he asks what my perfume is because it smells quite nice. Flattered (lame), I tell him it’s Chance by Chanel. He says he thinks that’s what his girlfriend wears. “BOO to you!” But it’s still a lovely scent!

Ponds Cold Cream ~$5.00 – I started using this recently at the suggestion of my sister’s very sophisticated and beauty-savvy friend. I’d never found a cheap make up remover that I liked. I used mineral oil or Vaseline for a while, but the oil was messy/greasy and the Vaseline was sometimes too thick for quick removal. Cold Cream (contains mineral oil) is super-emollient, a good consistency for quick removal, doesn’t irritate the eyes at all and leaves the sensitive skin around the eyes very hydrated. Women have been using variations of it for almost 2000 years. I usually trust a classic product.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15 ~$11.00 – I didn’t wear moisturizer until a couple months ago. Growing up I had normal-oily combination skin. I was terrified of moisturizer. Since my teen years my skin has become more regulated and actually dries out in certain places. After too many days of flaky skin this winter season I decided I’d try moisturizer. Cetaphil is a trusted brand for skin care (and affordable). The moisturizer hasn’t caused any pimples to sprout. I wear it overnight. It makes my skin feel so smooth when I wake up. I don’t know why I was so scared for all those years.

Essie Nail Polish Really Red $8.00 – I love red nail polish (and lipstick). Essie is my favorite brand of polish and this is their BEST color. Goes on smooth and lasts long. What more could I ask for? Perfect nail polish in both formula and shade.

***Credit to Megan B. for discussion/feedback/ideas. Thank you! : )

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.

T.S. Eliot

I’m having a hard time today. All I can think about is new places. Maybe for vacation, maybe for a semi-permanent stay, maybe I won’t come back. (Just kidding, I’ll come back because family is too important to be away from forever.) I’ve always kept a wish list on a scrap of paper of places to visit. I keep losing it, so I thought I’d electronicize it.

Visit:

-Southern France

-Scandinavia (bike through Denmark)

-Germany (Bavaria/Black Forest)

-Thailand

-Japan (cherry blossoms, Great Temple)

-China (Great Wall)

-Amazon Rainforest

-Australia (Sydney & Great Barrier Reef)

-Turkey

-Montreal

Visit again:

-Barcelona

-Rome

-Paris

-NYC

This is just a start…once I knock these places out of the way I’ll start on a new list. I have a silly fantasy that I’ll find the ultimate travel partner at some point (could be friend, sister, future boyfriend/husband, etc) who will go around the world with me. We’ll have short term jobs to make money so we can continue our expeditions till we’re satisfied. There would be periods of stability and then periods of intense travel. Maybe it’s pie in the sky, but I can have dreams. : )

I feel so antsy, like I’m waiting for something real to begin.

I will be in New Orleans for a few days. : )

It’s funny how I somehow know all the lyrics for a strange assortment of songs from the 1960s. Today at work I was listening to the “My Oldies” playlist I created for myself a couple months ago. I started wondering who these people were…the singers, songwriters…the bands themselves. Oldies…I grew up listening on the radio, I have some of the songs in iTunes, but I haven’t seen many of the actual performances. I got curious after work and spent at least an hour watching Oldies videos on YouTube. In my viewing fury I bookmarked 25-ish videos. I made myself choose three to actually put on here…I kinda chose them because they’re all bands of guys with mop-ish hair, haha. But no Beatles.

“She’s Not There” The Zombies, 1964

Well no one told me about her the way she lied
Well no one told me about her how many people cried
But it’s too late to say you’re sorry
How would I know why should I care
Please don’t bother tryin’ to find her
She’s not there

“Judy in Disguise” John Fred and his Playboys, 1968

Judy in disguise, well that’s what you are
Lemonade pies with a brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise, with glasses

“The Rain, The Park & Other Things” The Cowsills, 1967

I saw her sitting in the rain
Raindrops falling on her
She didn’t seem to care
She sat there and smiled at me

I watched La Dolce Vita over the past 24 hours…it took me three sittings. About to go out with friends…so inspired by the look of Anouk Aimée’s character, Maddalena.

I just activated the NoSpamNX plugin to combat the horrible horrible horrible spam problem. There’s nothing more annoying than almost 30 spam comments flooding my inbox in less than 24 hours. Blahhhhh. Hopefully I will praise this plugin soon and be spam free.

UPDATE: It’s been about 14 hours since I installed NoSpamNX and I haven’t gotten any spam comments. Seems to be working very well. : )

I’ve been telling people at work it’s World Nutella Day. It’s surprising how many people don’t know what Nutella is. It’s a hazelnut-based sweet spread that was developed in Italy. Very chocolaty. I like eating it on bread. There are tons of recipes on the World Nutella Day web site though. Might have a Nutella cooking adventure this weekend.

http://www.nutelladay.com

Go eat some!

Fake Nutella advertisement from The Brand Builder Blog . Yummmmy!

CUTE!

If you were not aware…it’s Children’s Authors & Illustrators Week. (Each morning at work my friend and I tell each other what quirky holiday it is, what day in history, famous people’s birthdays, etc. This web site is my main resource.) Today we talked about the books we loved from our childhood.

My favorite “series” books were definitely The Berenstain Bears and Little Critter. The two series are pretty similar, both involved families of animals that wear human clothes and talk. The family consists of a mom, dad, brother and sister. And there’s probably a grandma in the picture, too. There’s always a problem/situation and solution/lesson and everyone is happy. Kinda like an animal/children’s book version of Full House. These crazy animals…the cover illustrations make me LOL.

As a really, really little kid I loved Eric Carle books. The Very Hungry Caterpillar was obviously awesome and inspired at least one class project in kindergarten. The illustrations were beautiful; I’d love to have some Eric Carle artwork at home.

I liked the Madeline books…though really I cared much more for the style of illustration and setting of the book. The stories were just okay. Apparently a common misconception about the series is that the girls are at an orphanage. How sad, they’re really just at boarding school.

Strega Nona was so important! My Dad used to love to read it to us since it took place in Italy. I think by the time I was seven I had most of it memorized. I even brought it to school to “share” with the class. For some reason we used to discuss to shortcomings of Big Anthony a lot. I think my parents were probably just trying to reinforce his failure and dopiness, haha.

“Bubble, bubble pasta pot. Boil me some pasta nice and hot. I’m hungry and it’s time to sup. Boil me enough pasta to fill me up.” -Strega Nona

Miss Nelson Is Missing was a favorite. I loved the pictures of Viola Swamp. She was 100% more interesting than Miss Nelson. I always feared a substitute as horrible as Swamp.

I don’t know if it was just me, but I LOVED illustrations of food as a kid. My sister and I used to try to imagine what everything would be made out of if the world consisted of food. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs was surely a winner because of all this. I specifically remember pictures of pancakes being airlifted or something. It would have been ridiculous to go to the town of Chewandswallow. I never saw the movie they made–I just don’t think it could live up to what I want it to be. Apparently they made a sequel to the book called Pickles To Pittsburgh. I’m skeptical.

I don’t like poetry at all but as a kid I loved the Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein books of poems…New Kid On The Block, Something BIG Has Been Here, Where The Sidewalk Ends, A Light In The Attic, Falling Up. Geez, the new kid was so scary and mean looking.

This was one of my absolute favorite poems. As a six-year-old I thought it was hilarious.

“I Wonder Why Dad Is So Thoroughly Mad”

I wonder why Dad is so thoroughly mad,
I can’t understand it at all,
unless it’s the bee still afloat in his tea
or his underwear, pinned to the wall.

Perhaps it’s the dye on his favorite tie,
or the mousetrap that snapped in his shoe,
or the pipefull of gum that he found with his thumb,
or the toilet, sealed tightly with glue.

It can’t be the bread crumbled up in his bed,
or the slugs someone left in the hall,
I wonder why Dad is so thoroughly mad,
I can’t understand it at all.

Oh, and for longer books I loved Roald Dahl (Matilda, The BFG) and Louis Sachar (Sideways Stories From Wayside School).

Those are my selections.

Today I took a nap before going to the gym, then during my sleep I dreamed that I went to the gym. I got there wearing flip flops, a very loose nightgown and my robe. I didn’t think there was anything strange about it when I first got there. Then I noticed that the machines were all moved around. I went to my normal spot but it was the wrong machine. I noticed someone I knew…I suddenly got embarrassed because of who they were…someone I had been very close to. I got on the machine and started running and realized I was wearing a robe and was about to trip on it. I took it off and worried my nightgown would leave me exposed and unsupported. It was so AWKWARD. I don’t remember the rest. Maybe I’m having some unresolved awkward feelings in my life right now. Or maybe I just feel subconsciously self-conscious at the gym. I love weird dreams.

Two questions…1) Is there any way to stop or reduce the amount of spam comments I get on my blog? There are like 5/day about Russian brides, road trip and Viagra. 2) How can I embed YouTube videos when the owner of the video has requested embedding to be disabled?

I think doppelganger week on Facebook is kinda funny. It’s interesting to see who people have been told they look like. I’ve seen a few people that post pictures of celebrities who look nothing like them…hahaha. Today at work we discussed who everyone looked like. One of my co-workers could be a Linda Hamilton. My friend said people say she looks like their “Mexican friend” because she’s so tan. I’ve always been told I look like Zooey Deschanel or Amanda Peet. After some deliberation my co-workers decided I look more like Juliette Binoche or Kristen Stewart. (Twilight, omglol…) Hmmm…all these ladies have blue eyes except for Binoche. People always tell me I look like someone else they know!