Redecorating a Closet Part 2

It took a bit longer than I expected to finish the closet and it's not completely finished now.  The floor still needs to be replaced with the laminate, but that can wait until it's cooler.  The painting and new closet system setup went fairly quickly.  The only issue during the process is the shelf that I originally purchased to serve as the resting place for frequently worn jewelry and perfume was a SAD excuse for a shelf.  It was replaced with the glass shelf seen in the photographs.  Also, it took me weeks to decide on the light fixture.  The original design called for a small chandelier, but I couldn't find what I wanted.  Then one day shopping on Amazon.com, I found THE fixture.  It immediately made me think of the 1960s and I just LOVED the 1960s!  It was modified for me to add the pull chain and there you go!  a huge improvement on what I had before.  My sister called the old light, "A light bulb for a prison cell."  It was in a cage, you see.

Here is what the closet looks like now:

The painting seen hanging on the wall is just there temporarily.  Yes, it's a painting of me.

The paint color used is Pleasing Pink A34-2 by Olympic.  After painting the closet and while it was still empty, the pink was reflecting off itself and was SO bright I was sure the color choice was a mistake.  However, when the things were added back into the closet the color really settled down nicely.  The closet system added to the back wall is much more efficient than the original rod that was against the longest wall.  The system is made by Rubbermaid and was very affordable through Amazon.com. The cost:  less than $70 US!  On the really small wall near the door a decorative hook in the shape of a Dragonfly was added to hold my flip flops and as you can see in the next picture the light fixture is just adorable!   (Excuse the yellow looking door frame.  The bathroom light is awful!)  The new closet fixture creates a great pattern of random light circles.  I just LOVE it!!

The clover shaped stool was always in the plan and another purchase via Amazon.com.  When it was all said and done the remodel investment was just under $200 US.  The closet has been mine for 30 years.  It was shabby, dingy and just an awful place to be.  Now, I go stand in it, look in the mirror and  bask in the glow of the pink!  I didn't think it was possible, but a closet can be a happy place.

LG: The Sad Story of Appliances Gone Wrong

I complain no more or less than any other human being, but I am about to complain. You've been warned! I'll keep my story as short as possible, but the story must be told.

Less than 2 years ago I decided that instead of renovating my kitchen I would instead replace every major appliance in my kitchen and laundry room. It is true that I did remodel the small laundry room, but it has less than 20 square feet, so we're talking a bit of paint, tile and a light fixture, but I digress. After reading up on many appliance companies and looking at design and function, I made the decision to purchase all LG appliances and secured the following, new from Sears and Home Depot:

• 1, Large French door, bottom-freezer refrigerator
• 1, 5 burner Gas Range
• 1, Microwave Vent-a-hood
• 1, Dishwasher
• 1, Front load Washer
• 1, Front load matching Dryer

Just after the 1 year warranty ran out here is what we are experiencing:

1. The dishwasher no longer works even well enough to get all of the dishwasher detergent out of the little dispenser.
2. Every knob on the front of the range is broken. We had to repair each with wire to try to hold them together so that we can at least use a few of the burners. Two of the knobs are completely unusable.
3. The handle on the microwave is broken. Because of how the handle is attached, the door has to be replaced in order to accomplish a repair! (Update: it was repaired...I can't tell you by whom.)
4. The ice maker in the door of the refrigerator stopped making ice.
5. The front loader washer leaks water in the front and has to be constantly watched for lint build-up or it really leaks, loads.

The bottom line is that not one of these appliances is working as it should. The first refrigerator that we purchased for our home lasted 25 years. Mind you, it was made in America where these LGs are NOT. Yes, there were maintenance type things we did to the old refrigerator. I remember about 10 years before we replaced it, we had to put vaseline on the baring of the freezer fan, but that was actually a fun thing that I did with someone else without any instructions and when it worked, we were so delighted!

The bottom line is that the only one of the LG appliances that hasn't had an issue is the dryer.  I'll NEVER purchase another LG ANYTHING and I urge you to consider other brands very strongly over LG.  I will replace everything as soon as I'm mad enough to spend the money.  I'm totally disappointed, but count it as a learning experience.  I wish you a better experience!

Redecorating a Closet

This is the weekend that I start the overhaul of my tiny, but functional closet. I am not a person with lots of clothing or shoes.  My standard is to keep the number of items to a minimum.  To accomplish this, I have only a certain number of hangers, spaces for shoes and handbags and etc. Everything has a place, so I cannot bring something into my closet unless something else leaves. At the moment, the closet is very inefficient.  The long hanging rod is deceptive. I could fill it with clothes, but if I do, I can't get into the closet. I'm certain the closet was designed as a storage space for out-of-season clothes, as there is a larger closet in my master bathroom. So, here is what my closet currently looks like:

As you can see in tall image at the left, the closet seems deep and there is a long clothes hanger pole to the right as you enter the closet.  A shorter pole is at the rear of the closet and it sits slightly higher than the long pole.  There are shelves above the poles and the closet is entered at an angle.  Yes, I said at an angle. To top it all off, the closet is behind the entrance to the bathroom. If my closet door is open, you can't open the door to the bathroom. The measurements of the closet are as follows: Back wall is 39" the left side wall is 42" and the Right side wall is 72".  The corner in the bottom photograph is where there is an 8" wide wall. This small wall is parallel to the 39" wall at the rear of the closet and this is where I hang my flip flops. At the rear of the closet, I have a black storage unit hanging from the pole that provides me with storage for scarves, polo shirts, jewelry box, handbags and dainty things.  You can see my shoes hanging in a matching black holder which fits over the door. Light is provided by a single, bare bulb with a pull string. Now that's class! You can understand why, at the moment, I spend as little time in this space as possible.

I've been working on a new design for several weeks. After a recent clear-out of the closet, I decided that I just couldn't stand how utterly inefficient the space is and that it's time to modernize. So here are a few details about the new design.

• The shelves, poles and laundry hamper are coming out.
• The walls will be painted pink (Olympic paint in Pleasing Pink, to be exact) with white trim.
• I've purchased a new closet organizing unit from Rubbermaid in Titanium that will fit along the back (39") wall.
• It will give me stacked hanging rods, 5 shelves and tons more space.
• I'm adding a 21"x 25" silver framed mirror over a 24" white hidden bracket shelf to hold perfume and a flower vase.
• The carpet will be replaced by 12.5" sq. ft. (or so) of natural cherry laminate flooring and lighting will be provided by a newly acquired and modified (adding a pull chain) pendent chandelier.
• The new space will also have a stool for shoe changing along with other great design features.

Here is a collage of some of the elements going into the new design:

Living in a house where I'm the only girl and I need a space I can call my own. Our house is perfect for us, but the only room I'm allowed to decorate with pink is my closet.  On July 2, 2013, we will celebrate 30 years in our home. This will be the first time I've ever painted anything pink and I can't wait! As soon as the closet is finished, I'll write a follow-up blog and provide complete photographs. Thanks for checking out the blog! See you soon!!

The Writing Plan

You can tell that it's been awhile since last my blog was touched.  I'll try to explain.  For a long, long time, I've wanted to write something for what I considered real publication. What I failed to realize is that I'm already doing it.  There is so much that I want to write about that I've been working for the last three months on ideas and just writing as often as I can in a very general way.  That activity has kept me from my blog; that and other silly things.  Now I know I can make this all happen and still have my blog.  Here's how I'll do it!  (You didn't think you were going to come out of this without reading a list, did you?)

The Writing Plan

AKA:  A List!

1. Decide what I'll write about.  I want to write about several things:
• Fiction, based on what I see in life.
• Leadership, based on what I live at work.
• Food, based on what I love to cook and eat.
• Life, because I love it and want to share my ideas with like minded people!
2. Set up a general blog.  That is this blog.  I can write about anything I like at HumbleVoyager.com and hopefully people will enjoy what they find.
3. Write in a big yellow tablet, two times a day for 30 minutes each on the subjects above.  One of the problems I have as a writer is my tendency to view anything I write on the computer as "finished."  It even looks finished!  All neatly typed and such.  This is a REAL problem for me.  I need editing and lots of it.  The danger of writing on the computer is that whatever you do looks finished as soon as it's typed.  These blogs are evidence of this problem.  So, I write in a big yellow legal tablet, because nothing in there looks finished...ever!  Then I take what I write there and transfer it into the computer editing as I go along.  This works for me!  (I bet you're wishing I'd done that with this blog right about now.)
4. Decide how I want to handle the food issue.  I love to cook, but I love to eat even more.  There in lies the problem.  If I'm going to write about cooking I have to cook and work on recipes. If I cook I want to eat, but I keep putting back on weight that I work darned hard to take off.  So, I've come up with a way to have my cooking and eating, but still lose a little weight.  Here is that plan:
• 5 days a week eat
• a 300 calorie breakfast (easy, I have several of these memorized by heart!)
• a packaged calorie controlled meal (like Lean Cuisine), a salad and fruit for lunch
• a Salad topped with protein, piece of fruit
• 1 day a week eat
• a fasting diet of no more than 700 calories
• 1 day a week eat
• whatever I want
• In general the plan allows for me to control things without counting a bunch of calories and still be able to have a treat of something I really want, if indeed I want something special, each week.  I'll know that days is coming each week, so when I'm tempted I can say to myself, "Nancy, just wait for X day and you can have that, if it's still what you really want!"  On the day I get each week to eat whatever I want, this is when I'll work on any food writing!  Yep, I think this will work.
5. Set up a leadership blog.  I haven't decided what this will be called yet.  I have to do some research, but mainly it will be tips, ideas and ways to make working in a leadership role more enjoyable and successful.
6. The bottom line is to just write.  A long time ago I learned that when I write I lose myself in the words.  I feel accomplished and positive about what I produce.  So, if when I'm happy I want to write, then I should be happy if I write all the time, right?  This isn't something I need someone to tell me to do or to validate that I do well!  I like what I write so therefore, I write.
7. Bring as much creativity into what I write as I can.  This will include, photography, ideas, plans, lists, recipes and etc.  I can't wait to share!!

So, that's what's going on now.  Be sure to check out more blogs as I work to organize myself and write, write, WRITE!

Foundation: YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat

Over the years I've heard or read about how drug store personal care products are just as good as high-end products.  Well, my personal experience is that they are not.  Makeup foundation is a good case with which to make my point.  If you've read other blogs, then you know about my trial of Maybelline's Fit Me liquid and most recently, L'Oreal's True Match Compact foundations.  Both were less than ideal experiences and although I can make the Fit Me work in a pinch, the True Match was a true disaster.  Now we come to the good stuff, Yves Saint Laurent's Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19.  This is the best, really THE BEST foundation I have ever used.  Here is my test for your review:

I started the day with clean, treated (I have Rosacea) and moisturized skin.

As you can see, I have lots of spots and baggy eyes (my eyeballs are HUGE and stick way out from my eye sockets which causes my old baggy eyes to look even more baggy!  I bet it's just going to get worse!!).  Sorry, for the short rant, but really, I wish I could wake up one morning with 20 year-old skin again.  I really, really miss my 20's.  Any way, I digress.  After priming my face with Sephora's Illuminating face primer I applied two pumps of the YSL foundation using a foundation brush.

My shade is B30 and as you can see it is looks light but that is because it has done such a great job of covering my spots and evening out my skin tone.  This is before concealing!  I did do a little bit of concealing and then completed my regular routine with eyes, cheeks and lips.  Here is the finished face ready to take on the day:

Now a beauty, I am not, but you have to admit, this YSL foundation is fantastic.   It looks very natural, covers well and I do not break out in any nasty rashes by the end of the day.  The foundation blends well and can be built up if you need extra coverage in spots.  Here is another angle:

That is what I looked like for work today.  I think my skin looks the best that it can look with this foundation and I feel I'm taking better care of it by using the YSL. I never really noticed it before, but I have HUGE ears as well as HUGE pokey-out eyes.  Oh, and not be out done is my GIGANTIC nose.  I could be the big bad wolf from Little Red Riding Hood!  You know, "Grandma!  What big eyes you have!!  The better to see you with, my dear."  Of course I don't recall LRRH saying anything about Grandma's HUGE nose, but she probably would have if the wolf hadn't jumped out the bed and tried to eat her!  Man, talk about getting off subject!!

Here is my list of good/bad about the YSL foundation:

1. Goes on smoothly with fingers or foundation brush (I haven't tried a sponge yet).
2. Lots of shades (16 to be exact!)
3. Never looks cakey.
4. Blends better than any other foundation I've ever used.
5. Can be built up if needed.
6. Doesn't have a scent (at least that I could detect).
7. Great coverage.
8. Sits beautifully on the skin.
9. Pricey.
10. The bottle is quite heavy so carrying it in your handbag for touch-ups is not easy.

Yes, even with numbers 9 and 10, this is my favorite foundation.  At $55 a bottle I have to make it last, but if I have to buy a bottle every three months that's $225 per year for foundation and I'm worth the investment.

Just in case you haven't seen my YouTube video on the Fit Me foundation trial, here it is:

As you can see in this video, there is absolutely NO comparison to be made between Maybelline and Yves Saint Laurent!!  Believe me, NONE!

That's it for now!  Thanks for stopping by.  I haven't decided what I'll be blogging about next, but I'll try to make it fun.  That is my goal in life; have some fun.  You get but one spin on this earth and I want mine to be good no matter what else is happening around me.  See you next time and until then, keep your chin (or if you're like me, chins) up, Sweeties!

52 Things

Every year I prepare a list of 52 things I'd like to accomplish in my personal life within the next year; one thing for each week of the new year.  Since starting this, I have never once completed all 52 things, but I do believe I have accomplished more by having the list, than not.  Besides, it's a list!!  What could be more happy-making than writing a nice list?!?  There aren't many rules.  Each item has to be something I can easily accomplish in a week.  I don't have to do them in order and I always try to break each item down into workable units to get them done over the course of the week.  It's fun...really...I promise it is!!  Here's my official 2013 list!

1. Make up a new recipe and test it out on the family and then blog about it. Done.
2. Clean and organize the main bathroom linen closet. Done.
3. Read, Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head & Other Drawings, by B. Kliban. Done.
4. Read, First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones.
5. Go through Son's clothes and remove all of the ones he has grown out of, which should be many! Done.
6. Get all of the ingredients and make a big batch of Stuffed Grape Leaves.
7. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (1of 4).
8. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (2 of 4).
9. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (3 of 4).
10. De-clutter 1/4 of the garage (4 of 4).
11. Complete a business trip to New York. Done.
12. Take my first leisure trip to Hawaii with my sister! (Okay...this changed to Las Vegas...Done!)
13. Take down the Christmas Tree!  (I'll be doing this one first on January 1.) Done.
14. Put up the Christmas Tree!  (So, this happens the same time every year, the day after Thanksgiving.) Done.
15. Go through my clothes, shoes and bags and remove those things which are no longer useful. Done.
16. Rearrange the furniture in the living room. Done.
17. Purchase and hang window coverings for the dining room. Done.
18. Paint the master bathroom. Done.
19. Clean all the windows in the house. Done.
20. Freshen and redecorate the front porch. Done.
21. Come up with a new nail art design and blog about it. Done (so many times everyone is sick to death of it!!)
22. Drive a completely different way to work each day of a the 5 work days one week and blog about it.  (That's right!  You too can be totally bored to death by my nonsense, just by reading my blog!! You know, like now!! :)
1. The MoPac way. Done.
2. The IH35 way. Done.
3. The Double Sneaky Back way. Done.
4. The Lamar to Breaker to Dessau way. Done.
5. The Metric to Rundburg way. Done.
23. Plan and prepare a week of only Italian food meals for the family and then blog about it.
24. Clean and redecorate the back patio area.
25. Plan and prepare a picnic for the family at a nice location near home.  (Let's see if they go or if I'm alone in this one!) Done.
26. Plan and prepare a week of only vegetarian food meals for myself and then blog about it. (My boys will never want to do this one!)
27. Detail my car.  (I must do the work myself!) Done.
28. Clean and organize the master bathroom linen closet. Done.
29. Purchase and install a new light fixture for the dining room. Done.
30. Select, purchase and install new outdoor lighting for the front porch and back patio.
31. Complete the 2014 travel plans for me and my sister. (She's stuck with me!!) Done.
32. Take a favorite look out of a fashion magazine and then try to recreate the look for myself for less than $100. Done.
33. Take a 2 hour hike in a local natural area.
34. Take a walk each day on a different walking trail in the area.
35. Clean out the drawer of my bedside table.
36. Learn how to better organize my blog. Done.
37. Make a video for YouTube on something I feel strongly about. Done.
38. Get my CHL.
39. Plan and complete the reorganization of my vanity area. Done.
40. Go to a concert. Done.
41. Take a weekend trip to a resort within driving distance of my home.
42. Try a different 30 minute workout routine every day for a week. Done.
43. Select a cookbook and make dinners from that book every night for a week and then blog about it.
44. Wear nothing but black with one pop of a different color each day, for a week and blog about it.
45. Plan and prepare a dynamite Halloween costume! Done, but didn't get to wear it!
46. Complete a full Spring cleaning of my home. Done.
47. Complete a full Fall cleaning of my home. Done.
48. Plan and prepare a week of Cowboy food meals for the family and then blog about it.  (Yes, there is such a thing!)
49. Select a favorite Cowgirl look from a magazine and then try to recreate the look for myself for less than $250. (I'm investing in me this year! ;)
50. Go through and get rid of all the unnecessary magazines there are around this place! Done.
51. Plan and prepare a week of German food meals for the family and then blog about it.
52. Take a 3 hour hike in a local natural area.

Also, there is a list of 5 things that I want to do for 2013 in general, all the time and we'll just call these my resolutions.  Here they are:

1. Eat when I'm hungry; stop when I'm full.  You know, like normal people do. Not so done.
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. Close, but still not completely done.
3. Stop weighing!  The number on the scale is not even important to me, so why do I still look at it? Done!
4. Take my lunch to work from home as many days as possible.  (Need the extra $ to fund some of my 52 Things above!) Done!!
5. Listen.  What? I don't think this will ever be DONE!

I'll update this blog posting each week and mark out something that I've accomplished.  So, I guess my list making is coming to an end for today.  I've had fun writing the lists, I just hope you're still awake!  Thanks for dropping by and I'll see you soon, Sweeties!

Foundation Test: L'Oreal True Match Compact Foundation

I just can't leave well enough alone.  That's why I keep trying to make inexpensive foundation work for me.  Drug store makeup has always been a problem for me. I know this, but I want so badly to be able to find just one inexpensive foundation that I can use that won't make me look like a goof.  I did a YouTube video on the not-so-flattering Fit Me foundation by Maybelline.  The foundation only cost me $2.94 (thanks to a $3 coupon from my local HEB!  Love those coupons!!).  I've now tested that foundation with and without priming and with three different application methods:  Fingers, Sponge and Foundation Brush.  In the case of both of these inexpensive foundations, the brush worked best.

The L'Oreal True Match Compact Foundation is the subject of today's test.  I primed my face with Sephora's Luminous Primer and gave great attention to the smoothness and moisture level of my skin.  I wanted this foundation to have every opportunity to win in the end.  Here is what I looked like without any makeup, but completely prepped with Rosacia treatment, eye cream and moisturizer:

As you can see, I have my normal issues, baggy eyes, lots of broken capillaries, spots galore...the normal me.  Then I applied the L'Oreal True Match Compact Foundation!!  So, let me just say that the "True Match" part of the name is just ridiculous.  How are you supposed to really match this stuff to your skin if you can't test it in the store?  I did my best, but as you'll see my best wasn't good enough.  I have a very pronounced yellow undertone, so I went with the shade in the middle of the light range for warm or yellow toned skin.  The color is terrible!!  The reason I was particularly drawn to this foundation in the first place was because it is in a compact form.  This would have made it easy for me to carry for touch-ups.  With all the nose blowing I do for allergies, I need to be able to touch-up my foundation around my nose.  Here is but a few of the things I notice about this foundation:

1. The color is too difficult to match and indeed, I didn't do well at all.
2. The foundation settles directly into every pour on my face.  If you have big pours, get ready to be able to name every one of them, because they are going to staring at you when you look in the mirror after applying this foundation.
3. Coverage is full with little concealing required.
4. Finish is matte-ish.
5. Looks cakey or is that cakie?  Regardless of how you spell it, it's bad.
6. The makeup makes me look quite lifeless.  Not exactly the look I'm going for here.

Being the consummate optimist, I decided to press on and wear this foundation today (I'm doing laundry so who will see me except my artist husband and sweet son, who probably will save my feelings and say nothing...maybe).  Here is the finished look with eyes, cheeks and lips:

It's hard to see the nastyness that is this foundation, so here are some closeups of the product on my skin:

Look at the dots, which are my pours!  I see Fred, Ginger, Cary, Mabel, Cecil...I'm naming my pours since we are going to be SO close now!!

Yes, I'm a hot mess.  Look at that forehead!  You can see every bit of this foundation laying in the pours, lines and dry spots of my skin.  As my husband would say about any ugly thing, "Distance lends enchantment to the view." So, the farther away from me you are, the better I'll look!  Great!!!  So far, I have not reacted with a rash, but the day is young!  Again, I had a $3 off coupon from my HEB (LOVE HEB) for this foundation.  The final price:  $7.97! The cost of this one hurts, but I WILL NOT do it again.  That's it!  As my wonderful sister says, I'm worth expensive foundation that looks good.  Tomorrow I go back to work (been on a little holiday) so I'll be sure to wear the good stuff and do a blog showing the difference.  You'll be amazed!

Thanks for dropping by!  I hope this helps and that you too tread with care if you're thinking of making the investment in L'Oreal True Match Compact Foundation or indeed, in any drug store foundation.  See you later, Sweeties!